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Normalisation

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21 views2 pages

Normalisation

Uploaded by

nishchay naran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Definition

Normalisation Normalisation is a technique for designing relational database tables


to minimise duplication of information and, in so doing, to safeguard
the database against certain types of logical or structural problems,
namely data anomalies.

Normalisation avoids:
1. Repeated groups
2. Data redundancy
3. Anomalies
3.1. Update
3.2. Insertion
3.3. Deletion
4. Complex queries

Update anomaly An update anomaly occurs when the same data needs to be
updated in more than one place.

Deletion anomaly Deletion anomaly occurs when a deletion causes the unnecessary
loss of data.

Insertion anomaly Deletion anomaly occurs when records are added that do not satisfy
the primary key requirements.

Primary Key A field in a table that uniquely identifies each record in the table.

Super key A combination of fields in a table which uniquely identifies each row.

Candidate keys Minimal super keys.

Composite/Compound/ The combination of two or more fields to form a primary key or


Concatenated key consists of more than one field.

Foreign key A field in a table that is a primary key in another table

Dependency Where one field is related to another.

Partial dependency When a field's value is dependent on only a part of a composite key.

Transitive dependency When a field’s value is dependent on a non-key field.

Derived data When you use a field to calculate another. - note data is not stored

Duplicate data When a record has the same value for a field as another record -
note: not wrong and must not be removed

Atomic data Each value of a field should store a single data item and should not
be combined.
Redundant data A condition created within a database in which the same piece of
data is held in two separate places.

Characteristics of each normal form


Form Characteristics NB: relation is another word for table

1NF ● No repeating groups


● Choose a primary key

2NF ● Relation is in 1NF


● No partial dependencies

3NF ● Relation is in 2NF


● No transitive dependencies

What each level of normalisation achieves

Form Achievements

1NF ● Flattened table


● Choose a primary key
● Eliminates repeating groups

However,
● Data redundancy is not eliminated
● No new relations are generated

2NF ● No more partial dependencies


● Reduces redundancy considerably
● New relations created

3NF ● In 2NF
● No transitive dependencies

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