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CAPE Information Technology: This Is in 1NF Because Each Cell Has Only 1 Value

Normalisation is the process of organizing data in a database to minimize duplication and dependency. It involves splitting tables into multiple tables and linking them through primary and foreign keys. The three normal forms are: [1] First normal form requires each field contain a single value. [2] Second normal form requires fields depend on the primary key. [3] Third normal form requires fields not depend on other non-key fields. Normalisation improves storage efficiency, data integrity, scalability and flexibility. It also aids maintenance through a more understandable and independent data structure.

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34 views

CAPE Information Technology: This Is in 1NF Because Each Cell Has Only 1 Value

Normalisation is the process of organizing data in a database to minimize duplication and dependency. It involves splitting tables into multiple tables and linking them through primary and foreign keys. The three normal forms are: [1] First normal form requires each field contain a single value. [2] Second normal form requires fields depend on the primary key. [3] Third normal form requires fields not depend on other non-key fields. Normalisation improves storage efficiency, data integrity, scalability and flexibility. It also aids maintenance through a more understandable and independent data structure.

Uploaded by

tarrant High
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CAPE Information Technology

CAPE INFO TECH UNIT 2

Objective 9: Explain the concept of normalisation;

Normalisation

Database normalisation is the process of removing redundant data from your tables in to
improve storage efficiency, data integrity, and scalability.

Normalisation generally involves splitting existing tables into multiple ones, which must be re-
joined or linked each time a query is issued.

Normal Forms

1. First Normal Form (1NF):

 A table is in first normal form if all the data values are atomic values. In other words,
there can only be one value per attribute.
 There must be no duplicate groups, i.e. no attributes which occur a different number of
times on different records. For example, suppose that an employee can have multiple
skills: a possible representation of employees' skills is {Employee ID, Skill1, Skill2,
Skill3 ...}, where {Employee ID} is the unique identifier for a record. This representation
would not be in 1NF.

The table on the left is not in 1NF because


each attribute does not contain a single
value. For example, Shaw is manager of
Gloucester and Bristol. To be in 1NF these
values need to be separated.

This is in 1NF because each cell has only 1 value.

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CAPE Information Technology

2. Second Normal Form (2NF)

 In order for a table to be in second normal form (2NF) it must be in first normal form
(1NF).
 Have all non-key fields fully functionally dependant on the primary key. It means that
you need to use the primary key to determine the value of the other fields in the table

The table above is not in 2NF, as the quantity is functionally dependent on the primary key.

The diagram below shows how the original table has been decomposed into smaller parts. It is
now in its’ second normal form (2NF).

Ensure the original table can be rebuilt from the data contained in the new table.

3. Third Normal Form (3NF)

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CAPE Information Technology

 In order for a table to be in Third Normal Form (3NF), it must be in second (and
therefore also first) normal form.
 Have all non-key fields non-transitively dependent on the primary key. Fields which
do not form part of the primary key must always be solely dependent on the primary
key and not on anything else, such as another non key field.

In the table below, CityID is dependent on City and Salary is dependent on Type. Therefore, this
table is not in 3NF.

Below we can see that the table has be broken down into three different tables, based on the
information that was in the original table.

Advantages of Normalisation

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CAPE Information Technology

 More efficient database structure


• Better understanding of your data
• Easier to see how the data fits together
 More flexible database structure
• Allows the data to be used for a variety of purposes
• Data is independent of interface and use
 Easier to maintain database structure
• Changing, adding and removing data structures is easier with a relational model
than any other model
 Avoids redundant fields
• And redundant records which reduced storage space and cost of hard disk drives

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CAPE Information Technology

Keys in Database Management

1. Primary key: A field whose values are unique so that they can be used to access each record

individually. It is the key which uniquely identifies records in a table.

2. Candidate key: A field that is considered a possibility for becoming the primary key.

However, only one field must be chosen as the primary key. Candidate keys are entirely

optional, so a table may contain none, one, or several of them.

3. Alternate key: Any candidate field that was not used as the primary key.

4. Foreign key: a field in one table, but it is a primary key in another table. (Appears in a table

where it doesn’t really belong but it enables two tables to be linked.)

5. Composite key: a primary key that is made up of two or more fields.

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