INFM 603 Information Technology

and Organizational Context

Lecture 7

Database Fundamentals
 A Database Schema
Schema Owner [1]

Tables Indexes Procedures

Views Constraints

schema objects
1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN. (with slight changes by V.G.D.)
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 Caution about Schema Objects
The meaning of object here is different
than that in UML.

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 Table
A table is the primary unit of physical
storage for data in a database.1

Usually a database contains more than one

table.

1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN.
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Table

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 A Database with Multiple Tables
[1]
Publishers Books Customers

Authors Inventory Orders

1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN. (with slight changes by V.G.D.)
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Table
Customers

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Field (Column)
Customers

a field

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Record (Row)
Customers

a record

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 Primary Key
Customers

primary key field

Primary key is a unique identifier of records in a table.

Primary key values may be generated manually or automatically.

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 Primary Key
Roles (Performances)

primary key fields

A primary key can consist of more than one field.

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primary key field
Foreign Key parent table

Directors

relationship child table

Movies

foreign key field

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 Relationship Types
One-to-one

One-to-many

Many-to-many

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 Data Types
Alphanumeric (Text, Memo)
Numeric (Number, Currency, etc.)
Date/Time
Boolean (Yes/No)

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 Entity
An entity is a business object that
represents a group, or category of data.1

Do we know a similar concept?

1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design, pp. 21. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN.
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 Instance (Record, Tuple)
A single, specific occurrence of an entity is
an instance. Other terms for an instance are
record and tuple.1

Do we know a similar concept?

1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design, pp. 210. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN.
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 Attribute
An attribute is a sub-group of information
within an entity.1

Do we know a similar concept?

1) Stephens, R.K. and Plew. R.R., 2001. Database Design, pp. 21. SAMS, Indianapolis , IN.
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 Relationship
A relationship is a link that relates two
entities that share one or more attributes.

Do we know a similar concept?

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 OO Design DB Design
Class Entity (Table)
Object Record
Attribute Attribute (Field)
Association Relationship

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 Database Environments
Mainframe

Client/Server

Internet-based

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 Database Types
Flat-file
Hierarchical
Network
Relational
Object-oriented
Object-relational

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 INFM 603 Information Technology
and Organizational Context
Lecture 7

Normalization
(Advanced may not be required for
LBSC690)
 Normalization
A method for organizing data elements into
tables.
Done in order to avoid
Duplication of data
Insert anomaly
Delete anomaly
Update anomaly

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 We will look at
First Normal Form

Second Normal Form

Third Normal Form

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 Example (Unnormalized)
Table: SalesOrders (Un-normalized)
SalesOrderNo
Date
CustomerNo
CustomerName
CutomerAddress
ClerkNo
ClerkName
Item1Description
Item1Quantity
Item1UnitPrice
Item2Description
Item2Quantity
Item2UnitPrice
Item3Description
Item3Quantity
Item3UnitPrice
Total
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 Normalize into 1NF
Separate repeating groups into new tables.

Start a new table for the repeating data.

The primary key for the repeating group is

usually a composite key.

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 Example (1NF)
Table: SalesOrders Table: OrderItems
SalesOrderNo SalesOrderNo
Date ItemNo
CustomerNo ItemDescription
CustomerName ItemQuantity
CustomerAddress ItemUnitPrice
ClerkNo
ClerkName
Total

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 Normalize into 2NF
Remove partial dependencies.

Start a new table for the partially dependent

data and the part of the key it depends on.

Tables started at this step usually contain

descriptions of resources.

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 Dependencies
Functional dependency: The value of one
attribute depends entirely on the value of
another.
Partial dependency: An attribute depends on
only part of the primary key. (The primary
key must be a composite key.)
Transitive dependency: An attribute depends
on an attribute other than the primary key.

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 Example (2NF)
Table: OrderItems Table: InventoryItems
SalesOrderNo ItemNo
ItemNo ItemDescription
ItemQuantity
ItemUnitPrice

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 What if we did not do 2NF
Duplication of data: ItemDescription would appear
for every order.
Insert anomaly: To insert an inventory item, you
must insert a sales order.
Delete anomaly: Information about the items stay
with sales order records. Delete a sales order
record, delete the item description.
Update anomaly: To change an item description,
you must change all the sales order records that
have the item.
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 Normalize into 3NF
Remove transitive dependencies.

Start a new table for the transitively dependent

attribute and the attribute it depends on.

Keep a copy of the key attribute in the original

table.

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 Example (3NF)
Table: SalesOrders Table: Customers
SalesOrderNo CustomerNo
Date CustomerName
CustomerNo CustomerAddress
ClerkNo
Total Table: Clerks
ClerkNo
ClerkName

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 What if we did not do 3NF
Duplication of data: Customer and Clerk details
would appear for every order.
Insert anomaly: To insert a customer or clerk, you
must insert a sales order.
Delete anomaly: Information about the customers
and clerks stay with sales order records. Delete a
sales order record, delete the customer or clerk.
Update anomaly: To change the details of a
customer or clerk, you must change all the sales
order records that involve that customer or clerk.
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 Example (Final Tables)
Table: SalesOrders Table: InventoryItems
SalesOrderNo ItemNo
Date ItemDescription
CustomerNo
ClerkNo Table: Customers
Total CustomerNo
CustomerName
Table: OrderItems CustomerAddress
SalesOrderNo
ItemNo Table: Clerks
ItemQuantity ClerkNo
ItemUnitPrice ClerkName

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