Re: A Normalization Question

"Larry Coon" <lcnospam_at_assist.org> wrote in message news:40EB1C2F.7B5A_at_assist.org...
> Neo wrote:
>
> > "Having several copies" (ie 'brown', 'brown', 'brown') is redundant.
>
> Not necessarily:
>
> create table house_color (
> customer_id numeric(5) not null,
> exterior_color varchar(10) not null,
> interior_color varchar(10) not null,
> trim_color varchar(10) not null,
> primary key (customer_id)
> )
>
> Here a tuple that contained ('brown', 'brown', 'brown')
> would be representing three independent, distinct facts,
> therefore it would not be redundant. Jan was correct
> when he said, "not things, facts." There is one -thing-
> three times, but that simply doesn't matter.
>
>
> Larry Coon
> University of California

Thank you! You have provided an expert, lucid, perfect, unarguable example.

Here's an idea. To achieve perfect normalization (zero redundancy), there should be a database that contains one table for each possible attribute in the universe- that way each value is stored only once. So, there would be a table called COLOR with every possible color stored in it. Another table called NUMBERS with Numbers stored in it (no sense storing a number more than once), and so on. Then, all you need to do is create tables that run your business with meaningless id codes in them so you can connect all of your attributes into rows of business data. But wait, these codes are numbers. No sense storing those again. Lets create an ID column for the ID column. No, wait... Lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse.... Received on Wed Jul 07 2004 - 15:40:07 CEST