[Year 12 IT Apps] Holiday overload

[Mark KELLY]

Hi, normalised people,

I woke this morning at 5 of the clock brimming with vacation lethargy and -
dammit - thoughts of database normalisation.  I'm sure *you* did too.  If
you didn't, you obviously are *not* fully normalised. I have done some
research into  the pit of normalisation and developed an equally pitiful
theory slideshow of normalisation theory:

http:/vceit.com/slideshows/Database-Normalisation.ppt

I still have to flesh out 3NF, but the main problem is clearly delineating
1NF from 2NF since no-one amongst the original normalisation theorists seems
to agree what 1NF really *means*. e.g. does 1NF include tables within tables
or not?  I can only trust that the examiners do NOT try a question on the
real exam similar to the one in the practice questions which requires
tertiary IT qualifications and boxing gloves for which to to even
*venture*an answer.  Normalisation theory is not merely a set of
guidelines: it is a
battlefield of conflicting ideologies, and the more research one does, the
less certain any answer becomes.

Examiners beware! I reckon the best you will get for an ITA exam question on
normalisation is something like, "Is normalisation good? Why?" instead of
delving into the differences between 1NF, 2NF and 3NF which are still argued
by database theory experts, and are peripheral to the bigger, basic question
of good basic database design.

All I know is the great joke about 3NF: "so help me Codd".  You have to view
the 3NF theory to get the joke. Honestly, it's worth a 30 minute lecture to
get to the punchline. Well, it *might* be worth it.  Your mileage might
vary.  I'm on holidays.  *Bare feet* amuse me at the moment.

I did my 30 minutes of theory on NF1-3 with my kids. They got the gist of *
degrees* of normalisation. They even laughed at the "so help me Codd" line.
They got the *need* for normalisation, but I couldn't pluck out the toenails
of my best kid to clearly tell me the basic difference between 2NF and
3NF...  It's *there*, but it's not ITA territory, IMO.

I completely understand your stoic indifference to database normalisation at
this stage in the blessed annual term 1 recuperative cycle.
I'd rather be fishing (or cutting my toenails - I might schedule that for
tomorrow) than doing normalisation theory.
I'd rather be lion taming, but I lack lions.  And I lack normality, but
thankfully I can blame that on my parents.

Enjoy the holidays, and please end up *5NF* - fully normalised (as long as
you accept the premise of 4NF and 5NF) by the start of term 2

Basking in the Saturday evening holiday rain,
Mark

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area
McKinnon Secondary College
McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253
kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
VCE IT Lecture Notes: http://vceit.com
Moderator: IT Applications Edulist

All generalisations are false, except this one.
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