Normalization
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Normalization is the process of organizing your database to reduce data duplication. Instead of storing a user's name in every order row, you store it once in the users table and reference it with a foreign key. Less repetition, fewer update bugs.
Real Talk
Normalization is the process of structuring a relational database to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. It follows a series of normal forms (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, etc.). Each form progressively eliminates specific types of data anomalies. Higher normalization typically requires more JOINs to query data.
When You'll Hear This
"We normalized the schema to avoid storing duplicate user data." / "Over-normalization can lead to painful JOINs everywhere."
Related Terms
Denormalization
Denormalization is the intentional opposite of normalization — you duplicate data to make queries faster.
ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram)
An ERD is a visual map of your database — boxes for tables, lines showing how they connect.
First Normal Form (1NF)
First Normal Form (1NF) is the most basic normalization rule: each column should hold one value, not a list.
Foreign Key
A foreign key is how you link two tables together. If an 'orders' table has a 'user_id' column pointing to the 'users' table, that is a foreign key.
Schema
A database schema is the blueprint of your database — which tables exist, what columns they have, what types they are, and how they relate to each other.