5

Chapter 5
Database Design 1: Some Normalization Examples
Spring 2006

Dependencies: Definitions

Multivalued Attributes (or repeating groups): nonkey attributes or groups of non-key attributes the values of which are not uniquely identified by (directly or indirectly) (not functionally dependent on) the value of the Primary Key (or its part).
STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00
2

Dependencies: Definitions

Partial Dependency when an non-key attribute is determined by a part, but not the whole, of a COMPOSITE primary key.
CUSTOMER Cust_ID 101 101 125 Name AT&T AT&T Cisco
Partial Dependency

Order_ID 1234 156 1250

3

Dependencies: Definitions
Transitive

Dependency when a nonkey attribute determines another non-key attribute. Transitive

Dependency

EMPLOYEE Emp_ID 111 122 F_Name Mary Sarah L_Name Jones Smith Dept_ID 1 2 Dept_Name Acct Mktg

Normal Forms: Review

Unnormalized There are multivalued attributes or repeating groups 1 NF No multivalued attributes or repeating groups. 2 NF 1 NF plus no partial dependencies 3 NF 2 NF plus no transitive dependencies
5

Example 1: Determine NF

ISBN Title ISBN Publisher Publisher Address

All attributes are directly or indirectly determined by the primary key; therefore, the relation is at least in 1 NF

BOOK ISBN Title Publisher Address

Example 1: Determine NF

ISBN Title ISBN Publisher Publisher Address

The relation is at least in 1NF. There is no COMPOSITE primary key, therefore there cant be partial dependencies. Therefore, the relation is at least in 2NF

BOOK ISBN Title Publisher Address

Example 1: Determine NF

ISBN Title ISBN Publisher Publisher Address

Publisher is a non-key attribute, and it determines Address, another non-key attribute. Therefore, there is a transitive dependency, which means that the relation is NOT in 3 NF.

BOOK ISBN Title Publisher Address

Example 1: Determine NF

ISBN Title ISBN Publisher Publisher Address

We know that the relation is at least in 2NF, and it is not in 3 NF. Therefore, we conclude that the relation is in 2NF.

BOOK ISBN Title Publisher Address

Example 1: Determine NF

ISBN Title ISBN Publisher Publisher Address

In your solution you will write the following justification: 1) No M/V attributes, therefore at least 1NF 2) No partial dependencies, therefore at least 2NF 3) There is a transitive dependency (Publisher Address), therefore, not 3NF Conclusion: The relation is in 2NF

BOOK ISBN Title Publisher Address

10

Example 2: Determine NF

Product_ID Description
All attributes are directly or indirectly determined by the primary key; therefore, the relation is at least in 1 NF

ORDER Order_No Product_ID Description

11

Example 2: Determine NF

Product_ID Description
The relation is at least in 1NF. There is a COMPOSITE Primary Key (PK) (Order_No, Product_ID), therefore there can be partial dependencies. Product_ID, which is a part of PK, determines Description; hence, there is a partial dependency. Therefore, the relation is not 2NF. No sense to check for transitive dependencies!

ORDER Order_No Product_ID Description

12

Example 2: Determine NF

Product_ID Description
We know that the relation is at least in 1NF, and it is not in 2 NF. Therefore, we conclude that the relation is in 1 NF.

ORDER Order_No Product_ID Description

13

Example 2: Determine NF
Product_ID

In your solution you will write the following justification: 1) No M/V attributes, therefore at least 1NF 2) There is a partial dependency (Product_ID Description), therefore not in 2NF Conclusion: The relation is in 1NF

Description

ORDER Order_No Product_ID Description

14

Example 3: Determine NF

Part_ID Description Part_ID Price Part_ID, Comp_ID No

Comp_ID and No are not determined by the primary key; therefore, the relation is NOT in 1 NF. No sense in looking at partial or transitive dependencies.

PART Part_ID Descr Price Comp_ID No

15

Example 3: Determine NF

Part_ID Description Part_ID Price Part_ID, Comp_ID No

In your solution you will write the following justification: 1) There are M/V attributes; therefore, not 1NF Conclusion: The relation is not normalized.

PART Part_ID Descr Price Comp_ID No

16

Bringing a Relation to 1NF

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

17

Bringing a Relation to 1NF

Option 1: Make a determinant of the repeating group (or the multivalued attribute) a part of the primary key.
Composite Primary Key

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

18

Bringing a Relation to 1NF

Option 2: Remove the entire repeating group from

the relation. Create another relation which would contain all the attributes of the repeating group, plus the primary key from the first relation. In this new relation, the primary key from the original relation and the determinant of the repeating group will comprise a primary key.
STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

19

Bringing a Relation to 1NF

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 125
STUDENT_COURSE Stud_ID 101 101 125 Course MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3 3 3

Name Lennon Jonson

20

Bringing a Relation to 2NF

Composite Primary Key

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

21

Bringing a Relation to 2NF

Goal:

Remove Partial Dependencies

Partial Dependencies

Composite Primary Key

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

22

Bringing a Relation to 2NF

Remove attributes that are dependent from the part but not the whole of the primary key from the original relation. For each partial dependency, create a new relation, with the corresponding part of the primary key from the original as the primary key.
STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

23

Bringing a Relation to 2NF

CUSTOMER Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00

STUDENT_COURSE Stud_ID 101 101 125 Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331

STUDENT Stud_ID 101 101 125 Name Lennon Lennon Johnson

COURSE Course_ID MSI 250 MSI 415 MSI 331 Units 3.00 3.00 3.00
24

Bringing a Relation to 3NF

Goal:

Get rid of transitive dependencies.

Transitive Dependency

EMPLOYEE Emp_ID 111 122 F_Name Mary Sarah L_Name Jones Smith Dept_ID Dept_Name 1 2 Acct Mktg

25

Bringing a Relation to 3NF

Remove the attributes, which are dependent on a non-key attribute, from the original relation. For each transitive dependency, create a new relation with the non-key attribute which is a determinant in the transitive dependency as a primary key, and the dependent non-key attribute as a dependent.

EMPLOYEE Emp_ID 111 122 F_Name Mary Sarah L_Name Jones Smith Dept_ID Dept_Name 1 2 Acct Mktg

26

Bringing a Relation to 3NF

EMPLOYEE Emp_ID 111 122 F_Name Mary Sarah L_Name Jones Smith Dept_ID Dept_Name 1 2 Acct Mktg

EMPLOYEE Emp_ID 111 122 F_Name Mary Sarah L_Name Jones Smith Dept_ID 1 2

DEPARTMENT Dept_ID Dept_Name 1 2 Acct Mktg

27