Normalization

[sbadal]

Need help on Normalization of a table. The table is in Excel and has to be normalized before it can be compared to another table in the Oracle database. If anyone has a sample that would be very helpful.

Thank you so much!

[J Staniforth]

It is difficult to explain what to do without having a copy of the excel sheet, however..
The aim of normalisation is to reduce/eradicate repitition of data,
e.g. if you are storing the name of a supplier in various places in your original table then you would create a new table which holds the suppliers' details including name - one record for each supplier. Also, there will be a unique KEY with each supplier record. Place this key wherever the supplier details were originaly stored in the original table. There is more which can be done and formal methods have been developed by Boyce & Codd. The highest level of normalisation is called BCNF - Boyce Codd Normal Form.
If you have Access 97 try importing into this and you will find a Wizard which helps by taking you through some of the stages.

Hope this helps.
Regards,
John.

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