The use of NULL values in a database can be controversial. Today Steve talks about his views on this concept.  Read more...

Technology is constantly moving forward, but it is also helpful to understand how we arrived where we are today. Joe Celko reminisces about the history of database design and how it relates to the concept of ‘Degree of Duplication’ in this article.  Read more...

In the final step of Database Design, Joe Celko gives a simple but effective explanation of the normalization process and why it is important.  Read more...

In levels one to four, we built the tables, base and virtual, of a schema. Levels five and six dealt with stored procedures. This level deals with a feature you need to avoid as much as possible; this is article is on Triggers.  Read more...

A proper database design is very important, and changes to fix problems after the fact are expensive. In this article, Joe Celko discusses three aspects of database design that are often overlooked: validation, verification, and modification.  Read more...

Joe Celko tackles the subject of the Stored Procedure and its place in database design. What he writes is food for thought, even for experienced database developers.  Read more...

Creating SQL Server databases is easier than the internet may lead us to believe.  Read more...

Example of Using Super Keys to Enforce Database Constraints, instead of procedural code  Read more...

This level of the stairway details the creation of a relational database, as well as filling in some of the history of the relational database model.  Read more...

Today Steve Jones is looking for database design resources.  Read more...

Steve Jones saw a database design test for developers, but he's never been given one.  Read more...

T-SQL script that creates Date_Dim & populates it for any date-range.  Read more...

Today we have a guest editorial that asks how one might want to manage all those logging metrics produced by applications.  Read more...

As database developers, we may need to rethink the way we store and handle personal names  Read more...

An interesting question from Steve Jones today, asking what is your experience with designing databases.  Read more...

A clear understanding of SQL Data Types and domains is a fundamental requirement for the Database Developer, but it is not elementary. If you select the most appropriate data type, it can sidestep a variety of errors. Furthermore, if you then define the data domains as exactly as possible via constraints, you can catch a variety of those problems that would otherwise bedevil the work of the application programmer.  Read more...

In this piece, Steve Jones shows how you can enforce a requirement of a Primary Key (PK) with a unit test, but also allow exceptions where needed.  Read more...

It sounds simple enough. Either your column will always have a value or it may not. Yet somehow such a seemingly simple decision can become a never-ending debate where database schema begins to resemble superstition and designing effective tables seems more contentious than you expected it to be.  Read more...

Find Tables with identity, which should have PK with 1 column but have a PK which is clustered but has multiple columns.  Read more...

Find Tables with identity, which should have PK with 1 column but have a PK with multiple columns or where the unique identity is contained in other indexes.  Read more...