<
database> A series of steps followed to obtain a
database
design that allows for efficient access and
storage of data
in a
relational database. These steps reduce data
redundancy and the chances of data becoming inconsistent.
A
table in a
relational database is said to be in
normal
form if it satisfies certain
constraints.
Codd's original
work defined three such forms but there are now five generally
accepted steps of
normalisation. The output of the first step
is called First
Normal Form (1NF), the output of the second
step is Second
Normal Form (2NF), etc.
First
Normal Form eliminates
repeating groups by putting
each value of a multi-valued attribute into a new row.
Second
Normal Form eliminates
functional dependencies on a
partial key by putting the fields in a separate table from
those that are dependent on the whole
key.
Third
Normal Form eliminates functional dependencies on
non-key fields by putting them in a separate table. At this
stage, all non-key fields are dependent on the key, the whole
key and nothing but the key.
Fourth
Normal Form separates independent multi-valued facts
stored in one table into separate tables.
Fifth
Normal Form breaks out data redundancy that is not
covered by any of the previous
normal forms.
http://bkent.net/Doc/simple5.htm.
[
What about non-relational databases?]
(2005-07-28)