Objectives of Normalization
A basic objective of the first normal form defined by Codd in 1970 was to permit data to be queried and manipulated using a "universal data sub-language" grounded in first-order logic. (SQL is an example of such a data sub-language, albeit one that Codd regarded as seriously flawed.)
The objectives of normalization beyond 1NF (First Normal Form) were stated as follows by Codd:
- 1. To free the collection of relations from undesirable insertion, update and deletion dependencies;
- 2. To reduce the need for restructuring the collection of relations, as new types of data are introduced, and thus increase the life span of application programs;
- 3. To make the relational model more informative to users;
- 4. To make the collection of relations neutral to the query statistics, where these statistics are liable to change as time goes by.
— E.F. Codd, "Further Normalization of the Data Base Relational Model"
The sections below give details of each of these objectives.
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Famous quotes containing the word objectives:
“Along the journey we commonly forget its goal. Almost every vocation is chosen and entered upon as a means to a purpose but is ultimately continued as a final purpose in itself. Forgetting our objectives is the most frequent stupidity in which we indulge ourselves.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (18441900)