What is database normalization and can you provide examples?

What is database normalization and can you provide examples?

Database normalization is the process of organizing data in a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. For example, in a customer database, instead of storing customer addresses in multiple tables, you can create a separate table for addresses and link it to the customer table.

Can you explain the different normal forms?

Sure! The main normal forms are: 1NF (First Normal Form) eliminates duplicate columns; 2NF (Second Normal Form) removes partial dependencies; 3NF (Third Normal Form) eliminates transitive dependencies. Each form builds on the previous one to ensure data is structured efficiently.

What are some practical examples of normalization?

A practical example is a university database. In 1NF, you would have a table for students with unique IDs. In 2NF, you would separate courses into another table to avoid repeating course names for each student. In 3NF, you would separate professors into their own table to avoid redundancy.

How does normalization affect database performance?

Normalization can improve performance by reducing data redundancy and ensuring data integrity, but it may also require more complex queries, which can slow down performance in some cases. It's a balance between efficiency and speed.