Articles Index

Choosing a Primary Key
Databases depend upon keys to store, sort and compare records. If you’ve been around databases for a while, you’ve probably heard about many different types of keys – primary keys, candidate keys, and foreign keys. When you create a new database table, you’re asked to select one primary key that will uniquely identify records stored in that table.

Database Normalization Basics
Database normalization can save storage space and ensure the consistency of your data. Learn the basics in this introductory article.

Normalizing Your Database: Third Normal Form (3NF)
In our first article, we looked at the basic requirements of 3NF. Here they are again to refresh your memory: meet the requirements of 1NF and 2NF and remove columns that are not fully dependent upon the primary key.

Normalizing Your Database: First Normal Form (1NF)
In this article, we begin our look at the first of three major normal forms -- first normal form (otherwise known as 1NF).

Normalizing Your Database: Second Normal Form (2NF)
Second Normal Form allows you to enhance the normalization of your database. In this article, we explore the requirements of 2NF and the process of normalizing your database.

Database Keys
As you may already know, databases use tables to organize information. Each table consists of a number of rows, each of which corresponds to a single database record. So, how do databases keep all of these records straight? It’s through the use of keys.

What is a Database?
Databases are designed to offer an organized mechanism for storing, managing and retrieving information. They do so through the use of tables. If you’re familiar with spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, you’re probably already accustomed to storing data in tabular form. It’s not much of a stretch to make the leap from spreadsheets to databases.

The ACID Model
All database management systems should share four characteristics: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability.

Two-Tier or n-Tier?
What's best for your situation? Two-tier, three-tier or n-tier databases? Find out here!