Normalizing an Example

Normalizing an Example Table
These steps demonstrate the process of normalizing a fictitious student table.
Unnormalized table:

Student# Advisor Adv-Room Class1 Class2 Class3
1022 Jones 412 101-07 143-01 159-02
4123 Smith 216 201-01 211-02 214-01
First Normal Form: No Repeating Groups

Tables should have only two dimensions. Since one student has several classes, these classes should be listed in a separate table. Fields Class1, Class2, and Class3 in the above records are indications of design trouble.

Spreadsheets often use the third dimension, but tables should not. Another way to look at this problem is with a one-to-many relationship, do not put the one side and the many side in the same table. Instead, create another table in first normal form by eliminating the repeating group (Class#), as shown below:

Student# Advisor Adv-Room Class#
1022 Jones 412 101-07
1022 Jones 412 143-01
1022 Jones 412 159-02
4123 Smith 216 201-01
4123 Smith 216 211-02
4123 Smith 216 214-01
Second Normal Form: Eliminate Redundant Data

Note the multiple Class# values for each Student# value in the above table. Class# is not functionally dependent on Student# (primary key), so this relationship is not in second normal form.

The following two tables demonstrate second normal form:

Students:

Student# Advisor Adv-Room
1022 Jones 412
4123 Smith 216


Registration:

Student# Class#
1022 101-07
1022 143-01
1022 159-02
4123 201-01
4123 211-02
4123 214-01
Third Normal Form: Eliminate Data Not Dependent On Key

In the last example, Adv-Room (the advisor's office number) is functionally dependent on the Advisor attribute. The solution is to move that attribute from the Students table to the Faculty table, as shown below:

Students:

Student# Advisor
1022 Jones
4123 Smith


Faculty:

Name Room Dept
Jones 412 42
Smith 216 42