7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)?

1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF,

2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example
What is Normalization?
Normalization is a database design
technique that reduces data redundancy and
eliminates undesirable characteristics like
Insertion, Update and Deletion Anomalies.
Normalization rules divides larger tables into
smaller tables and links them using
relationships. The purpose of Normalisation
in SQL is to eliminate redundant (repetitive)
data and ensure data is stored logically.

The inventor of the relational model Edgar

Codd proposed the theory of normalization
of data with the introduction of the First Normal Form, and he continued to extend theory
with Second and Third Normal Form. Later he joined Raymond F. Boyce to develop the
theory of Boyce-Codd Normal Form.

In this Database Normalization tutorial, you will learn:

What is Normalization in DBMS?

Database Normal Forms
Database Normalization With Examples
1NF (First Normal Form) Rules
What is a KEY in SQL?
2NF (Second Normal Form) Rules
Database - Foreign Key
What are transitive functional dependencies?
3NF (Third Normal Form) Rules
BCNF (Boyce-Codd Normal Form)
4NF (Fourth Normal Form) Rules
5NF (Fifth Normal Form) Rules
6NF (Sixth Normal Form) Proposed

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Database Normal Forms
Here is a list of Normal Forms in SQL:

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

1NF (First Normal Form)

2NF (Second Normal Form)
3NF (Third Normal Form)
BCNF (Boyce-Codd Normal Form)
4NF (Fourth Normal Form)
5NF (Fifth Normal Form)
6NF (Sixth Normal Form)

The Theory of Data Normalization in MySQL server is still being developed further. For
example, there are discussions even on 6th Normal Form. However, in most practical
applications, normalization achieves its best in 3rd Normal Form. The evolution of
Normalization in SQL theories is illustrated below-

Database Normal Forms

Database Normalization With Examples

Database Normalization Example can be easily understood with the help of a case
study. Assume, a video library maintains a database of movies rented out. Without any
normalization in database, all information is stored in one table as shown below. Let's
understand Normalization database with normalization example with solution:

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Here you see Movies Rented column has multiple values. Now let's move into 1st
Normal Forms:

1NF (First Normal Form) Rules

Each table cell should contain a single value.
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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

Each record needs to be unique.

The above table in 1NF-

1NF Example

Example of 1NF in DBMS

Before we proceed let's understand a few things --

What is a KEY in SQL?

A KEY in SQL is a value used to identify records in a table uniquely. An SQL KEY is a
single column or combination of multiple columns used to uniquely identify rows or tuples
in the table. SQL Key is used to identify duplicate information, and it also helps establish
a relationship between multiple tables in the database.

Note: Columns in a table that are NOT used to identify a record uniquely are called non-
key columns.

What is a Primary Key?

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Primary Key in DBMS

A primary is a single column value used to identify a database record uniquely.

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

It has following attributes

A primary key cannot be NULL

A primary key value must be unique
The primary key values should rarely be changed
The primary key must be given a value when a new record is inserted.

What is Composite Key?

A composite key is a primary key composed of multiple columns used to identify a record
uniquely

In our database, we have two people with the same name Robert Phil, but they live in
different places.

Composite key in Database

Hence, we require both Full Name and Address to identify a record uniquely. That is a
composite key.

Let's move into second normal form 2NF

2NF (Second Normal Form) Rules

Rule 1- Be in 1NF
Rule 2- Single Column Primary Key that does not functionally dependant on any
subset of candidate key relation

It is clear that we can't move forward to make our simple database in 2ndNormalization
form unless we partition the table above.How to write a TEST CASE Software Testing Tu…

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

We have divided our 1NF table into two tables viz. Table 1 and Table2. Table 1 contains
member information. Table 2 contains information on movies rented.

We have introduced a new column called Membership_id which is the primary key for
table 1. Records can be uniquely identified in Table 1 using membership id

Database - Foreign Key

In Table 2, Membership_ID is the Foreign Key

Foreign Key in DBMS

Foreign Key references the primary key of another Table! It helps connect your Tables

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A foreign key can have a different name from its primary key
It ensures rows in one table have corresponding rows in another
Unlike the Primary key, they do not have to be unique. Most often they aren't
Foreign keys can be null even though primary keys can not 

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

Why do you need a foreign key?

Suppose, a novice inserts a record in Table B such as

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You will only be able to insert values into your foreign key that exist in the unique key in
the parent table. This helps in referential integrity. 

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

The above problem can be overcome by declaring membership id  from Table2  as
foreign key of membership id from Table1

Now, if somebody tries to insert a value in the membership id field that does not exist in
the parent table, an error will be shown!

What are transitive functional dependencies?

A transitive functional dependency is when changing a non-key column, might cause any
of the other non-key columns to change

Consider the table 1. Changing the non-key column Full Name may change Salutation.

Let's move into 3NF

3NF (Third Normal Form) Rules

Rule 1- Be in 2NF
Rule 2- Has no transitive functional dependencies

To move our 2NF table into 3NF, we again need to again divide our table.

3NF Example
Below is a 3NF example in SQL database:

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7/2/2021 What is Normalization in DBMS (SQL)? 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF Database with Example

We have again divided our tables and created a new table which stores Salutations. 

There are no transitive functional dependencies, and hence our table is in 3NF

In Table 3 Salutation ID is primary key, and in Table 1 Salutation ID is foreign to primary

key in Table 3

Now our little example is at a level that cannot further be decomposed to attain higher
normal form types of normalization in DBMS. In fact, it is already in higher normalization
forms. Separate efforts for moving into next levels of normalizing data are normally
needed in complex databases.  However, we will be discussing next levels of
normalisation in DBMS in brief in the following.

BCNF (Boyce-Codd Normal Form)

Even when a database is in 3rd Normal Form, still there would be anomalies resulted if it
has more than one Candidate Key.

Sometimes is BCNF is also referred as 3.5 Normal Form.

4NF (Fourth Normal Form) Rules

If no database table instance contains two or more, independent and multivalued data
describing the relevant entity, then it is in 4th Normal Form.

5NF (Fifth Normal Form) Rules

A table is in 5th Normal Form only if it is in 4NF and it cannot be decomposed into any
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number of smaller tables without loss of data.

6NF (Sixth Normal Form) Proposed

6th Normal Form is not standardized, yet however, it is being discussed by database
experts for some time. Hopefully, we would have a clear & standardized definition for
6th Normal Form in the near future...

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