What are the steps to normalize a database in the real world?

1 Understand Data

Before diving into normalization, you need to thoroughly understand the data you're working with. Examine the tables and relationships within your database to determine how data is currently organized. Identify any repeating groups or redundant information. This step is crucial because it lays the groundwork for the rest of the normalization process. Understanding the data also involves talking to stakeholders to grasp how they use the data and what they need from it, ensuring that the normalization process aligns with business requirements.

3 Second Normal Form

Once your database is in 1NF, move on to the Second Normal Form (2NF). This step involves removing subsets of data that apply to multiple rows of a table and placing them in separate tables. Create relationships between these new tables and their predecessors through the use of foreign keys. The goal here is to ensure that each table's non-key attributes are fully functionally dependent on the primary key, which means that the information in a table relates solely to the primary key.

4 Third Normal Form

Achieving the Third Normal Form (3NF) requires that you remove any columns not directly dependent on the primary key. In other words, if a column is only transitively dependent on the primary key through another column, it should be moved to a different table. This step further reduces redundancy and ensures that each piece of information is stored only once. By the end of this step, your database should be free of transitive dependencies, making it more streamlined and easier to maintain.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?