Database Design for Mere Mortals™, Second Edition

Database Design for Mere Mortals™, Second Edition

Introduction
  - What's New in the Second Edition
  - Who Should Read This Book
  - The Purpose of This Book
  - How to Read This Book
  - How This Book Is Organized
  - A Word About the Examples and Techniques in This Book

Part I. Relational Database Design

Chapter 1. The Relational Database
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Types of Databases
  - Early Database Models
  - The Relational Database Model
  - Relational Database Management Systems
  - Beyond the Relational Model
  - What the Future Holds
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 2. Design Objectives
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why Should You Be Concerned with Database Design?
  - The Importance of Theory
  - The Advantage of Learning a Good Design Methodology
  - Objectives of Good Design
  - Benefits of Good Design
  - Database-Design Methods
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 3. Terminology
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why This Terminology Is Important
  - Value-Related Terms
  - Structure-Related Terms
  - Relationship-Related Terms
  - Integrity-Related Terms
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Part II. The Design Process

Chapter 4. Conceptual Overview
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - The Importance of Completing the Design Process
  - Defining a Mission Statement and Mission Objectives
  - Analyzing the Current Database
  - Creating the Data Structures
  - Determining and Establishing Table Relationships
  - Determining and Defining Business Rules
  - Determining and Defining Views
  - Reviewing Data Integrity
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 5. Starting the Process
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Conducting Interviews
  - The Case Study: Mike's Bikes
  - Defining the Mission Statement
  - Defining the Mission Objectives
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 6. Analyzing the Current Database
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Getting to Know the Current Database
  - Conducting the Analysis
  - Looking at How Data Is Collected
  - Looking at How Information Is Presented
  - Conducting Interviews
  - Interviewing Users
  - Interviewing Management
  - Compiling a Complete List of Fields
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 7. Establishing Table Structures
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Defining the Preliminary Table List
  - Defining the Final Table List
  - Associating Fields with Each Table
  - Refining the Fields
  - Refining the Table Structures
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 8. Keys
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why Keys Are Important
  - Establishing Keys for Each Table
  - Table-Level Integrity
  - Reviewing the Initial Table Structures
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 9. Field Specifications
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why Field Specifications Are Important
  - Field-Level Integrity
  - Anatomy of a Field Specification
  - Using Unique, Generic, and Replica Field Specifications
  - Defining Field Specifications for Each Field in the Database
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 10. Table Relationships
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why Relationships Are Important
  - Types of Relationships
  - Identifying Existing Relationships
  - Establishing Each Relationship
  - Refining All Foreign Keys
  - Establishing Relationship Characteristics
  - Relationship-Level Integrity
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 11. Business Rules
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - What Are Business Rules?
  - Categories of Business Rules
  - Defining and Establishing Business Rules
  - Validation Tables
  - Reviewing the Business Rule Specifications Sheets
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 12. Views
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - What Are Views?
  - Anatomy of a View
  - Determining and Defining Views
  - Summary
  - Review Questions

Chapter 13. Reviewing Data Integrity
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Why You Should Review Data Integrity
  - Reviewing and Refining Data Integrity
  - Assembling the Database Documentation
  - Done at Last!
  - Summary

Part III. Other Database-Design Issues

Chapter 14. Bad Design—What Not to Do
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - Flat-File Design
  - Spreadsheet Design
  - Database Design Based on the Database Software
  - A Final Thought
  - Summary

Chapter 15. Bending or Breaking the Rules
  - Topics Covered in This Chapter
  - When May You Bend or Break the Rules?
  - Documenting Your Actions
  - Summary In Closing

Part IV. Appendixes

Appendix A. Answers to Review Questions

Appendix B. Diagram of the Database-Design Process

Appendix C. Design Guidelines
  - Defining and Establishing Field Specific Business Rules
  - Defining and Establishing Relationship Specific Business Rules
  - Elements of a Candidate Key
  - Elements of a Foreign Key
  - Elements of a Primary Key
  - Elements of the Ideal Field
  - Elements of the Ideal Table
  - Field-Level Integrity
  - Guidelines for Composing a Field Description
  - Guidelines for Composing a Table Description
  - Guidelines for Creating Field Names
  - Guidelines for Creating Table Names
  - Identifying Relationships
  - Identifying View Requirements
  - Interview Guidelines
  - Mission Statements
  - Mission Objectives
  - Relationship-Level Integrity
  - Resolving a Multivalued Field
  - Table-Level Integrity

Appendix D. Documentation Forms

Appendix E. Database-Design Diagram Symbols

Appendix F. Sample Designs

Appendix G. Recommended Reading

Glossary

References

Here's a brief overview of what you'll find in each part and each chapter.

Part I: Relational Database Design

This section provides an introduction to databases, the idea of database design, and some of the terminology you'll need to be familiar with in order to learn and understand the design process presented in this book.

Chapter 1, The Relational Database, provides a brief discussion of the types of databases you'll encounter, common database models, and a brief history of the relational database.

Chapter 2, Design Objectives, explores why you should be concerned with design, points out the objectives and advantages of good design, and provides a brief introduction to normalization and normal forms.

Chapter 3, Terminology, covers the terms you need to know in order to learn and understand the design methodology presented in this book.

Part II: The Design Process

Each aspect of the database-design process is discussed in detail in Part II, including establishing table structures, assigning primary keys, setting field specifications, establishing table relationships, setting up views, and establishing various levels of data integrity.

Chapter 4, Conceptual Overview, provides an overview of the design process, showing you how the different components of the process fit together.

Chapter 5, Starting the Process, covers how to define a mission statement and mission objectives for the database, both of which provide you with an initial focus for creating your database.

Chapter 6, Analyzing the Current Database, covers issues concerning the existing database. We look at reasons for analyzing the current database, how to look at current methods of collecting and presenting data, why and how to conduct interviews with users and management, and how to compile initial field lists.

Chapter 7, Establishing Table Structures, covers topics such as determining and defining what subjects the database should track, associating fields with tables, and refining table structures.

Chapter 8, Keys, covers the concept of keys and their importance to the design process, as well as how to define candidate and primary keys for each table.

Chapter 9, Field Specifications, covers a topic that a number of database developers tend to minimize. Besides indicating how each field is created, field specifications determine the very nature of the values a field contains.