Normalization in plain English

Question

I understand the concept of database normalization, but always have a hard time explaining it in plain English - especially for a job interview. I have read the wikipedia p

Answer 1

Database normalization is a formal process of designing your database to eliminate redundant data. The design consists of:

• planning what information the database will store
• outlining what information users will request from it
• documenting the assumptions for review

Use a data-dictionary or some other metadata representation to verify the design.

The biggest problem with normalization is that you end up with multiple tables representing what is conceptually a single item, such as a user profile. Don't worry about normalizing data in table that will have records inserted but not updated, such as history logs or financial transactions.

References

• When not to Normalize your SQL Database

• Database Design Basics