Re: object algebra

> The big problem is that your description of normalization as "The process of
> replacing duplicates [sic] things with a reference to the original thing"
> really isn't quite correct.

Within the context of TDM/XDb1, it is correct. Could you prove otherwise?

> Normalization removes relationships inadvertantly implied between pieces
> of data by the design of the database. It doesn't create references,
> and it doesn't decompose data types.

Such may or may not be the case in your understanding or RDM. In TDM/XDb1, normalization is the process of replacing duplicate things with references to the original thing. It is similar in RDM. Suppose you start with

T_ItemColor
MyCar Blue
YourCar Blue

To normalize

T_ItemColor
MyCar ->Blue
YourCar ->Blue

T_Color
Blue

In effect, one has replaced duplicate things with a reference to the orignal thing. Since all things in a row need to be of the same type, this required us to move Blue to a new table. In RDM, the mechanism of a reference is called a key or ID.

> Since you seem to have disagreed with Marshall before about this,

I don't believe Marshall disagreed with TDM/XDb1's definition of normalization as the basic principle is similar to that in RDM. He was simply asking repeatedly as he didn't know my understanding of normalization. Received on Thu Mar 04 2004 - 21:41:52 CET