Normalisation and relationships.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joe Robinson
  • Start date Start date
J

Joe Robinson

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a book or website where I can get information about
normalisation and entity relationship analysis of databases. It is driving
me mad - can't understand how it works so I need something which explains it
in a very simple way!!

Joan
 
I don't know how much detail you are looking for. The concept is not
complex, but it sometimes takes a few tries before it is understood. The
use of the concept takes a lot of thought and a in depth knowledge of the
data to do well.

In short it is like placing data in folders in folders. For example you
might have all the data on me (Joseph Meehan) in a folder. On the folder
would be my name address etc. Inside the folder might be thinks like the
text of the messages I have left here. That would be a parent and child
table arrangement.

Something like phone numbers could be troublesome. Years ago you might
have two numbers one work one home. Today you might have a whole group of
numbers, home fax home voice, work fax, work voice cell phone satellite
phone etc. In the old days you may have put the phone numbers on the
folder, now you might put them in a child table.

Sorry but I have not seen a really good reference for you. The manual
and on-line help that came with Access 97 seemed to be at least ok for a
starter.
 
Joe Robinson said:
Can anyone recommend a book or website where I can get information about
normalisation and entity relationship analysis of databases. It is driving
me mad - can't understand how it works so I need something which explains it
in a very simple way!!
Click to expand...

Here's a free whitepaper to start:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283878

There are also some very good books on the subject. Probably the best place
to start is: Michael J. Hernandez's book "Database Design for Mere Mortals"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0201752840/qid=1066304400/sr=1
-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-5519028-8169644?v=glance&s=books

another great one for beginners (it's out of print but often still available
at Amazon) is "Designing Relational Database Systems" by Rebecca Riordan

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/073560634X/qid=1066304472/sr=1
-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-5519028-8169644?v=glance&s=books

--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
 
Joe Robinson said:
Hi,

Can anyone recommend a book or website where I can get information about
normalisation and entity relationship analysis of databases. It is driving
me mad - can't understand how it works so I need something which explains it
in a very simple way!!
Click to expand...
The help file has a bit of information.
 
Letts - Database Design & Management using Access by Nick Dowling. £8.95..
It is easy to read and informative. I saw it on the shelf of my local
bookshop, but I sure you could find it browing an online bookstore.
 
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