Database Design for Mere Mortals: 25th Anniversary Edition (For Mere Mortals)

Description: Foreword xix Preface xxi Introduction xxix Whats New in the Fourth Edition xxxi Who Should Read This Book xxxii The Purpose of This Book xxxiii How to Read This Book xxxvi How This Book Is Organized xxxvii A Word about the Examples and Techniques in This Book xl PART I: RELATIONAL DATA BASE DESIGN 1 Chapter 1: The Relational Database 3 Topics Covered in This Chapter 3 What Is a Database? 3 The Relational Database 5 Retrieving Data 7 Advantages of a Relational Database 9 Relational Database Management Systems 10 Whats Next? 11 Summary 13 Review Questions 14 Chapter 2: Design Objectives 17 Topics Covered in This Chapter 17 Why Should You Be Concerned with Database Design? 17 The Importance of Theory 19 The Advantage of Learning a Good Design Methodology 21 Objectives of Good Design 22 Benefits of Good Design 23 Database-Design Methods 24 Traditional Design Methods 24 The Design Method Presented in This Book 26 Normalization 27 Summary 30 Review Questions 31 Chapter 3: Terminology 33 Topics Covered in This Chapter 33 Why This Terminology Is Important 33 Value-Related Terms 35 Data 35 Information 35 Null 37 The Value of Null 38 The Problem with Null 39 Structure-Related Terms 41 Table 41 Field 44 Record 45 View 46 Keys 48 Index 50 Relationship-Related Terms 50 Relationships 50 Types of Relationships 52 Types of Participation 57 Degree of Participation 57 Integrity-Related Terms 59 Field Specification 59 Data Integrity 59 Summary 61 Review Questions 62 PART II: THE DESIGN PROCESS 65 Chapter 4: Conceptual Overview 67 Topics Covered in This Chapter 67 The Importance of Completing the Design Process 68 Defining a Mission Statement and Mission Objectives 69 Analyzing the Current Database 70 Creating the Data Structures 72 Determining and Establishing Table Relationships 73 Determining and Defining Business Rules 74 Determining and Defining Views 75 Reviewing Data Integrity 75 Summary 77 Review Questions 78 Chapter 5: Starting the Process 81 Topics Covered in This Chapter 81 Conducting Interviews 82 Participant Guidelines 84 Interviewer Guidelines (These Are for You) 86 Defining the Mission Statement 91 The Well-Written Mission Statement 91 Composing a Mission Statement 93 Defining the Mission Objectives 96 Well-Written Mission Objectives 97 Composing Mission Objectives 99 Summary 103 Review Questions 104 Chapter 6: Analyzing the Current Database 107 Topics Covered in This Chapter 107 Getting to Know the Current Database 107 Paper-Based Databases 111 Legacy Databases 111 Conducting the Analysis 113 Looking at How Data Is Collected 113 Looking at How Information Is Presented 116 Conducting Interviews 120 Basic Interview Techniques 121 Before You Begin the Interview Process 128 Interviewing Users 128 Reviewing Data Type and Usage 129 Reviewing the Samples 131 Reviewing Information Requirements 135 Interviewing Management 143 Reviewing Current Information Requirements 144 Reviewing Additional Information Requirements 145 Reviewing Future Information Requirements 146 Reviewing Overall Information Requirements 147 Compiling a Complete List of Fields 148 The Preliminary Field List 148 The Calculated Field List 156 Reviewing Both Lists with Users and Management 156 Summary 162 Review Questions 164 Chapter 7: Establishing Table Structures 165 Topics Covered in This Chapter 165 Defining the Preliminary Table List 166 Identifying Implied Subjects 166 Using the List of Subjects 168 Using the Mission Objectives 172 Defining the Final Table List 174 Refining the Table Names 176 Indicating the Table Types 182 Composing the Table Descriptions 182 Associating Fields with Each Table 189 Refining the Fields 191 Improving the Field Names 191 Using an Ideal Field to Resolve Anomalies 196 Resolving Multipart Fields 199 Resolving Multivalued Fields 201 Refining the Table Structures 208 A Word about Redundant Data and Duplicate Fields 208 Using an Ideal Table to Refine Table Structures 209 Establishing Subset Tables 216 Summary 229 Review Questions 231 Chapter 8: Keys 233 Topics Covered in This Chapter 233 Why Keys Are Important 234 Establishing Keys for Each Table 234 Candidate Keys 235 Primary Keys 243 Alternate Keys 249 Non-keys 250 Table-Level Integrity 251 Reviewing the Initial Table Structures 251 Summary 259 Review Questions 260 Chapter 9: Field Specifications 263 Topics Covered in This Chapter 263 Why Field Specifications Are Important 264 Field-Level Integrity 266 Anatomy of a Field Specification 267 General Elements 267 Physical Elements 275 Logical Elements 278 Using Unique, Generic, and Replica Field Specifications 283 Defining Field Specifications for Each Field in the Database 287 Summary 291 Review Questions 292 Chapter 10: Table Relationships 293 Topics Covered in This Chapter 293 Why Relationships Are Important 294 Types of Relationships 295 One-to-One Relationships 296 One-to-Many Relationships 298 Many-to-Many Relationships 301 Self-Referencing Relationships 308 Identifying Existing Relationships 312 Establishing Each Relationship 323 One-to-One and One-to-Many Relationships 323 The Many-to-Many Relationship 331 Self-Referencing Relationships 337 Reviewing the Structure of Each Table 342 Refining All Foreign Keys 343 Elements of a Foreign Key 343 Establishing Relationship Characteristics 349 Defining a Deletion Rule for Each Relationship 349 Identifying the Type of Participation for Each Table 354 Identifying the Degree of Participation for Each Table 357 Verifying Table Relationships with Users and Management 360 A Final Note 360 Relationship-Level Integrity 361 Summary 366 Review Questions 368 Chapter 11: Business Rules 369 Topics Covered in This Chapter 369 What Are Business Rules? 370 Types of Business Rules 373 Categories of Business Rules 375 Field-Specific Business Rules 375 Relationship-Specific Business Rules 376 Defining and Establishing Business Rules 378 Working with Users and Management 378 Defining and Establishing Field-Specific Business Rules 379 Defining and Establishing Relationship-Specific Business Rules 386 Validation Tables 394 What Are Validation Tables? 394 Using Validation Tables to Support Business Rules 395 Reviewing the Business Rule Specifications Sheets 400 Summary 408 Review Questions 409 Chapter 12: Views 411 Topics Covered in This Chapter 411 What Are Views? 411 Anatomy of a View 413 Data View 413 Aggregate View 418 Validation View 422 Determining and Defining Views 424 Working with Users and Management 425 Defining Views 426 Reviewing the Documentation for Each View 434 Summary 441 Review Questions 442 Chapter 13: Reviewing Data Integrity 445 Topics Covered in This Chapter 445 Why You Should Review Data Integrity 446 Reviewing and Refining Data Integrity 446 Table-Level Integrity 447 Field-Level Integrity 447 Relationship-Level Integrity 448 Business Rules 448 Views 448 Assembling the Database Documentation 449 Done at Last! 451 Summary 452 PART III: OTHER DATA BASE DESIGN ISSUES 453 Chapter 14: Bad DesignWhat Not to Do 455 Topics Covered in This Chapter 455 Flat-File Design 456 Spreadsheet Design 457 Dealing with the Spreadsheet View Mindset 459 Database Design Based on the Database Software 461 A Final Thought 463 Summary 463 Chapter 15: Bending or Breaking the Rules 465 Topics Covered in This Chapter 465 When May You Bend or Break the Rules? 465 Designing an Analytical Database 465 Improving Processing Performance 466 Documenting Your Actions 469 Summary 471 Chapter 16: In Closing 473 PART IV: APPENDIXES 475 Appendix A: Answers to Review Questions 477 Appendix B: Diagram of the Database Design Process 501 Appendix C: Design Guidelines 519 Appendix D: Documentation Forms 529 Appendix E: Database-Design Diagram Symbols 533 Appendix F: Sample Designs 535 Appendix G: On Normalization 541 Appendix H: Recommended Reading 551 Glossary 553 References 567 Index 569

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