Chapter 2 Looking at Data

Table of Contents

Understanding the Process

A Small Sample Database
How Will the Data Be Used?

Distinguishing Entities and Attributes

Listing Entities
Listing Attributes

Identifying Relationships between Entities

Locating Distinguishing Key Items

From Entities to Tables

Creating the Table Design

Data Type and Size
Character Data
NULL Values
Modifying the Table Design
Table Descriptions

Defining Indexes

Designing Database Security Schemes

Estimating Table and Index Size

Designing Applications

Further Information...

This chapter presents the basic steps in data analysis and database design:

Understanding the process.
Distinguishing entities and attributes.
Identifying relationships between entities.
Locating distinguishing key items.
Creating the table design.
Defining indexes.
Defining views.
Estimating table and index size.
Designing applications.

These terms are explained as each step is discussed in the following sections. If you already have a table design in mind and you want to set it up at once, skip this chapter; come back later if you wish. But if you don't know what data to put into which tables, then read on!

Chapter 2 Looking at Data

Technical documentation

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