MySQL/PHP Database Applications
Chapter One
Database Design with
MySQL
IN THIS CHAPTER
* Identifying the problems that led to the creation of the relational database
* Learning the normalization process
* Examining advanced database concepts
The bulk of this chapter is for those of you who have made it to the early twenty-first
century without working with relational databases. If you're a seasoned database
pro, having worked with Oracle, Sybase, or even something like Microsoft
Access or Paradox, you may want to skip this little lesson on database theory.
However, we do suggest that you look at the final section of this chapter, where we
discuss some of MySQL's weirder points. MySQL's implementation of SQL is incomplete,
so it might not support something you want to use.
Why Use a Relational Database?
If you're still here and are ready to read with rapt attention about database theory
and the wonders of normalization, you probably don't know much about the history
of the relational database. You may not even care. For that reason, I'll keep this
very brief. Dr. E. F. Cod ... read full excerpt from MySQL/PHP Database Applications, 2nd Edition ebook
