What is Normalisation?
Organising a database to reduce redundancy by splitting data into related tables.
Why It Matters
Normalisation prevents data inconsistencies and reduces storage waste by storing each piece of information only once.
Real-World Example
Storing customer addresses in a separate table rather than repeating them in every order record.
“Understanding terms like Normalisation matters because it helps you have better conversations with developers and make smarter decisions about your software. You do not need to be technical. You just need to know enough to ask the right questions.”
Related Terms
Denormalisation
Deliberately adding redundant data to a database to improve read performance.
Database
An organised collection of data that your application can store, retrieve, and update
Schema
A blueprint that defines the structure of your data, including fields and their types
SQL
A language for communicating with databases, used to create, read, update, and delete data
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Related Terms
Database
An organised collection of data that your application can store, retrieve, and update
SQL
A language for communicating with databases, used to create, read, update, and delete data
Schema
A blueprint that defines the structure of your data, including fields and their types
Denormalisation
Deliberately adding redundant data to a database to improve read performance.
NoSQL
Databases that store data differently from traditional tables, often as flexible documents or key-value pairs
PostgreSQL
A powerful, free, open-source database known for reliability and advanced features