Database design is similar to house design and involves creating a blueprint for the database, including relationships between tables and important information. The process includes creating four data models and checking for spelling errors and naming conventions. Normalization is used to remove redundancy. The purpose of the database is determined first, and the final step is normalization to ensure functionality.
Database design, as the name might suggest, is very similar to house design, although the term can also be used to refer to the actual construction of the database. The design process is a kind of blueprint that outlines the details of a database, from the relationships between tables to what information is important and how the data will be implemented. In addition to helping the builder know what tables and information to collect, a project uses naming conventions and spelling errors are checked before the database is completed. The database also goes through normalization, which seeks to remove redundancy, during the design process. Without working out a design first, a database creator can easily screw up the order of tables or the primary key for tables, or simply miss some sections, among a slew of other potential mistakes.
The first step of database design is knowing the purpose of the database. There are no diagrams or abstract representations; the designer only thinks about the goals of the database. Some information can be written, but generally the designer simply considers how best to organize and use the database.
Next, the designer creates four data models. The conceptual model is a simple diagram showing table names. Next, the logical data model is created, filling the tables with the primary key and the information to be collected. A primary key is a title for a column that makes it unique and tells users the purpose of the column. The relationships between tables are also detailed during this database design phase.
In the entity-relationship model, the designer focuses more on relationships and less on primary keys. This model can sometimes be skipped, but when building the database it helps show how entities interact with each other. In the physical data model, real-time information is fed into the database design.
During each stage of the model, you should check the spelling of tables and primary keys. Naming conventions are also used, so users know how to enter data. For example, a table might be named “ThisTable”, “This_Table”, “This-Table”, or “This.Table”, depending on the naming convention chosen by the database designer. Spelling must be checked, because a mistake can cause relationship problems during database creation.
The normalization rules also apply to the database model. These rules eliminate data repetition, dissolve large tables into small tables, and ensure relationships are optimized. Database design normalization is the last step and will help the designer determine if the database is functional or if it needs to be reorganized or reworked.
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