Is there a comprehensive document about database normalization?
From Stephen Edelstein: Normalization is a specific term that does not imply anything but a poor design at a certain point in the design process. Think of it with this adage: The key, the whole key, and nothing but the key: • In 1NF (first normal form) all of the columns depend on the primary key • In 2NF, all of the columns depend on the whole (i.e. compound) primary key • in 3NF all of the columns depend on nothing but the key, i.e. not on each other This is relevant at the level of defining the attributes for an entity. Each attribute MUST conform to these 3 forms, or else they are not normalized. From Paul Dorsey: Normalization is a very specific, very formal definition of relation construction. The real definitions of normalization are almost unreadable by anyone outside of mathematics. Note that in computer science, the “standard” database text is CJ Date’s which itself does not use formal definitions. If you design databases for a living, then Stephen’s definitions are probably
