The Best Relational Theory Books of All Time

The #1 Easy, Commonsense Guide to Database Design―Now Updated. Foreword by Michelle Poolet, Mount Vernon Data Systems LLC. Database Design for Mere Mortals has earned worldwide respect as the simplest way to learn relational database design. Now, this hands-on, software independent tutorial is even clearer and easier to use. Step by step, this new 25th Anniversary Edition shows you how to design modern databases that are soundly structured, reliable, and flexible, even in the latest online applications.

Michael Hernandez guides you through everything from planning to defining tables, fields, keys, table relationships, business rules, and views. You will learn practical ways to improve data integrity, how to avoid common mistakes, and when to break the rules. Updated review questions and figures help you learn these techniques more easily and effectively. Understand database types, models, and design terminologyPerform interviews to efficiently capture requirements―even if everyone works remotelySet clear design objectives and transform them into effective designsAnalyze a current database so you can identify ways to improve itEstablish table structures and relationships, assign primary keys, set field specifications, and set up viewsEnsure the correct level of data integrity for each databaseIdentify and establish business rulesPreview and prepare for the future of relational databases. Whatever relational database systems you use, Hernandez will help you design databases that are robust and trustworthy. Never designed a database before? Settling for inadequate generic designs? Running existing databases that need improvement? Start here.

Create database designs that scale, meet business requirements, and inherently work toward keeping your data structured and usable in the face of changing business models and software systems. This book is about database design theory. Design theory is the scientific foundation for database design, just as the relational model is the scientific foundation for database technology in general. Databases lie at the heart of so much of what we do in the computing world that negative impacts of poor design can be extraordinarily widespread.

This second edition includes greatly expanded coverage of exotic and little understood normal forms such as: essential tuple normal form (ETNF), redundancy free normal form (RFNF), superkey normal form (SKNF), sixth normal form (6NF), and domain key normal form (DKNF). Also included are new appendixes, including one that provides an in-depth look into the crucial notion of data consistency.Sequencing of topics has been improved, and many explanations and examples have been rewritten and clarified based upon the author’s teaching of the content in instructor-led courses. This book aims to be different from other books on design by bridging the gap between the theory of design and the practice of design. The book explains theory in a way that practitioners should be able to understand, and it explains why that theory is of considerable practical importance. Reading this book provides you with an important theoretical grounding on which to do the practical work of database design. Reading the book also helps you in going to and understanding the more academic texts as you build your base of knowledge and expertise. Anyone with a professional interest in database design can benefit from using this book as a stepping-stone toward a more rigorous design approach and more lasting database models. What You Will LearnUnderstand what design theory is and is notBe aware of the two different goals of normalizationKnow which normal forms are truly significant Apply design theory in practice Be familiar with techniques for dealing with redundancy Understand what consistency is and why it is crucially important. Who This Book Is For. Those having a professional interest in database design, including data and database administrators; educators and students specializing in database matters; information modelers and database designers; DBMS designers, implementers, and other database vendor personnel; and database consultants. The book is product independent.

Learn effective and scalable database design techniques in SQL Server 2019 and other recent SQL Server versions. This book is revised to cover additions to SQL Server that include SQL graph enhancements, in-memory online transaction processing, temporal data storage, row-level security, and other design-related features. This book will help you design OLTP databases that are high-quality, protect the integrity of your data, and perform fast on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations.

Designing an effective and scalable database using SQL Server is a task requiring skills that have been around for well over 30 years, using technology that is constantly changing. This book covers everything from design logic that business users will understand to the physical implementation of design in a SQL Server database. Grounded in best practices and a solid understanding of the underlying theory, author Louis Davidson shows you how to "getit right" in SQL Server database design and lay a solid groundwork for the future use of valuable business data. What You Will LearnDevelop conceptual models of client data using interviews and client documentationImplement designs that work on premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid approachRecognize and apply common database design patternsNormalize data models to enhance integrity and scalability of your databases for the long-term use of valuable dataTranslate conceptual models into high-performing SQL Server databasesSecure and protect data integrity as part of meeting regulatory requirementsCreate effective indexing to speed query performanceUnderstand the concepts of concurrency. Who This Book Is For. Programmers and database administrators of all types who want to use SQL Server to store transactional data. The book is especially useful to those wanting to learn the latest database design features in SQL Server 2019 (features that include graph objects, in-memory OLTP, temporal data support, and more). Chapters on fundamental concepts, the language of database modeling, SQL implementation, and the normalization process lay a solid groundwork for readers who are just entering the field of database design. More advanced chapters serve the seasoned veteran by tackling the latest in physical implementation features that SQL Server has to offer. The book has been carefully revised to cover all the design-related features that are new in SQL Server 2019.