What is Database Normalization?

It sounds complex, but the concept of database normalization can be summed up in three words:

Don't Repeat Yourself

Follow these guidelines and you're 90% of the way there:

• Use an Autonumber primary key in each table.
• Store each piece of data only once.
• Store one piece of data per field.
• If you can calculate it, don't store it.
• Lists of finite choices should be in their own tables and referenced by ID.

One final piece of advice: databases are not simply bigger Excel spreadsheets.  Don't treat them as such!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay