The #1 Easy, Commonsense Guide to Database Design-Now Updated

Foreword by Michelle Poolet, Mount Vernon Data Systems LLC

Michael J. Hernandez's best-selling Database Design for Mere Mortals has earned worldwide respect as the simplest way to learn relational database design. Now, he's made this hands-on, software independent tutorial 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. Hernandez guides you through everything from planning to defining tables, fields, keys, table relationships, business rules, and views. You'll 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 terminology
• Perform interviews to efficiently capture requirements-even if everyone's working remotely
• Set clear design objectives and transform them into effective designs
• Analyze a current database so you can identify ways to improve it
• Establish table structures and relationships, assign primary keys, set field specifications, and set up views
• Ensure the correct level of data integrity for each database
• Identify and establish business rules
• Preview 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.

Michael J. Hernandez is a man with many talents and has done quite a bit in his life, and he continues to do many things to keep him busy. You could say he's a modern-day Renaissance Man.

Mike has been an independent database consultant with more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry, and has been a contributing author to a wide variety of magazine articles, white papers, books, and periodicals. Mike has also been a top-rated and noted technical instructor for two national training organizations, the government, the military, the private sector, and companies throughout the United States, and he has been a top-rated speaker and presenter at numerous national and international conferences. He also worked full-time at Microsoft for seven years as a program manager, product manager, and marketing manager in the Visual Studio Group.

Mike is mainly pursuing his artistic side at this point in his life. He is currently a professional actor (with more than seven years of experience as of this writing), performing in commercials for the likes of U.S. Bank, Allstate Insurance, and Subaru; in TV for shows such as Veep, American Crime, and Unbelievable; and feature films such as Ernesto's Manifesto, The Honor List, and Almost Home.

The #1 Easy, Commonsense Guide to Database Design-Now Updated

Foreword by Michelle Poolet, Mount Vernon Data Systems LLC

Michael J. Hernandez's best-selling Database Design for Mere Mortals has earned worldwide respect as the simplest way to learn relational database design. Now, he's made this hands-on, software independent tutorial 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. Hernandez guides you through everything from planning to defining tables, fields, keys, table relationships, business rules, and views. You'll 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 terminology
• Perform interviews to efficiently capture requirements-even if everyone's working remotely
• Set clear design objectives and transform them into effective designs
• Analyze a current database so you can identify ways to improve it
• Establish table structures and relationships, assign primary keys, set field specifications, and set up views
• Ensure the correct level of data integrity for each database
• Identify and establish business rules
• Preview 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.

Foreword xix

Preface xxi

Introduction xxix

What's New in the Fourth Edition xxxi

Who Should Read This Book xxxii

The Purpose of This Book xxxiii

How to Read This Book xxxvi

How This Book Is Organized xxxvii

A Word about the Examples and Techniques in This Book xl

PART I: RELATIONAL DATA BASE DESIGN 1

Chapter 1: The Relational Database 3

Topics Covered in This Chapter 3

What Is a Database? 3

The Relational Database 5

Retrieving Data 7

Advantages of a Relational Database 9

Relational Database Management Systems 10

What's Next? 11

Summary 13

Review Questions 14

Chapter 2: Design Objectives 17

Topics Covered in This Chapter 17

Why Should You Be Concerned with Database Design? 17

The Importance of Theory 19

The Advantage of Learning a Good Design Methodology 21

Objectives of Good Design 22

Benefits of Good Design 23

Database-Design Methods 24

Traditional Design Methods 24

The Design Method Presented in This Book 26

Normalization 27

Summary 30

Review Questions 31

Chapter 3: Terminology 33

Topics Covered in This Chapter 33

Why This Terminology Is Important 33

Value-Related Terms 35

Data 35

Information 35

Null 37

The Value of Null 38

The Problem with Null 39

Structure-Related Terms 41

Table 41

Field 44

Record 45

View 46

Keys 48

Index 50

Relationship-Related Terms 50