Micro: A normalization tool for relational database designers

✍ Scribed by Hongbo Du; Laurent Wery

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 470 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1084-8045
• DOI: 10.1006/jnca.1999.0096

✦ Synopsis

Normalization is a major task in relational database design. Although normalization algorithms have been developed, very few commercial design tools are available to assist the normalization satisfactorily. In this paper, we present a prototype system Micro for automatic normalization. We have developed a simple algorithm for 2NF normalization, and used the abstract algorithms reported in the literature for 3NF and BCNF normalization. We employ efficient data structures on functional dependencies and relation schemes to improve the performance of these algorithms. Micro enforces a certain fixed order among functional dependencies to deal with the non-deterministic feature that is associated with the original algorithms. Micro provides a windowing user interface through which the database designer can specify functional dependencies easily and generate real normalized tables. Through Micro, we wish to demonstrate that the automation of normalization is practical.