Summary and Resources

In this article I've covered database normalization and the five Normal Forms. In the normalization process, an original database design is transformed into an equivalent one, which avoids certain anomalies when inserting, updating, or deleting records. Proper normalization also helps to identify entities correctly. I also discussed the possible use of a database as a central repository for logging information or configurational data.

Resources

• Check out Barry Wise's "Database Normalization and Design Techniques"which gives a simple and accessible introduction to the Normal Forms and the normalization process.
  
  
• Read William Kent's "A Simple Guide to Five Normal Forms in Relational Database Theory" for a thorough primer on the five Normal Forms.
  
  
• Look at C.J. Date's article, "Normalization is no Panacea," which discusses some problems that cannot be solved by normalization alone, since (in his own words): "It's always important to understand the limitations of any technology on which we rely heavily."
  
  
• Avail yourself of this white paper on Simple Conditions for Guaranteeing Higher Normal Forms in Relational Databases.
  
  
• See the results of last year's survey on Winning Database Configurations.