what is normalization?

Basically, it's the process of

efficiently organizing data in a database.

There are two goals of the normalization process:

eliminate redundant data (for example, storing the
same data in more than one table) and ensure data
dependencies make sense (only storing related data in
a table). Both of these are worthy goals as they
reduce the amount of space a database consumes and
ensure that data is logically stored.

The database community has developed a series of

guidelines for ensuring that databases are normalized.
These are referred to as normal forms and are
numbered from one (the lowest form of
normalization, referred to as first normal form or
1NF) through five (fifth normal form or 5NF). In
practical applications, you'll often see 1NF, 2NF, and
3NF along with the occasional 4NF. Fifth normal
form is very rarely seen and won't be discussed in
this article.

Before we begin our discussion of the normal forms,

it's important to point out that they are guidelines and
guidelines only. Occasionally, it becomes necessary
to stray from them to meet practical business
requirements. However, when variations take place,
it's extremely important to evaluate any possible
ramifications they could have on your system and
account for possible inconsistencies. That said, let's
explore the normal forms.

First normal form (1NF) sets the very basic rules for
an organized database:
· Eliminate duplicative columns from the same table.
· Create separate tables for each group of related data
and identify each row with a unique column or set of
columns (the primary key).
Second normal form (2NF) further addresses the
concept of removing duplicative data:
· Remove subsets of data that apply to multiple rows
of a table and place them in separate tables.
· Create relationships between these new tables and
their predecessors through the use of foreign keys.
Third normal form (3NF) goes one large step further:
· Remove columns that are not dependent upon the
primary key.
Finally, fourth normal form (4NF) has one
requirement:
· A relation is in 4NF if it has no multi-valued
dependencies.

…………………………………….
Normalization is a process or removing the data redendacy to
identify a value uniquely in a table.
The process of implementing or rules to be followed to
implement in a normlization is called normal rules or normal
forms. there are 5 types.

1NF: A table can be said to be 1NF by identifying the non-key

attibute is dependt up on no-key attirbute and identify the
colum or attibute which produces more than one value.

Q: How to eliminate the values in an attribute having moe than

one?
Ans: RDBMS provieds resources called cell values by the cell
values we can eliminate an attirute containing more than one
value. cell values are represented by ...line.
when we eliminate the full functional dependancy then we can
sya that table is in 1NF.

2NF: A table can set to be in 2NF, if the tab le is already satify

the 1NF and eliminating partial functional depency.

3NF: A Table can be said to be 3 NF if the table already satisfy

2NF and eliminate transitive depency.

4NF: A table can be said to be 4NF if the table is already said

to be satisfy the 3NF

5NF: A table can said to be 5NF if it is already satify the 4NF

and it has to satisfy the degree of reationship.
1. 1:1
2. 1:M or M:1
3. M: M
Functional Dependency

Definition: A functional dependency occurs when

one attribute in a relation uniquely determines
another attribute. This can be written A -> B which
would be the same as stating "B is functionally
dependent upon A."
Examples: In table listing employee characteristics
including Social Security Number (SSN) and name, it
can be said that name is functionally dependent upon
SSN (or SSN -> name) because an employee's name
can be uniquely determined from their SSN.
However, the reverse statement (name -> SSN) is not
true because more than one employee can have the
same name but different SSNs.

Transitive Dependency

Definition: A type of functional dependency in

which the value in a non-key field is determined by
the value in another non-key field and that field is not
a candidate key