XML index

Foreign key

Physical Database Design Consideration

There are lots of things to think about when you design a physical database. What data types should I use? What column is appropriate for the primary key? Are there particular indexes that I should use to improve performance? How should I implement data integrity rules? This list goes on and on. In this article Greg Larsen will be exploring different physical database design elements.

Constraints and the Test-Driven Database

Bad data always seems to appear when, and where, one least expects it. Sam explains the great value of a defensive approach based on constraints to any team that is developing an application in which the data has to be exactly right, and where bad data could cause consequential severe financial damage. It is perhaps better seen as creating a test-driven database.

Table space usage 1

Prime Attributes

Yet Another SQL Strategy for Versioned Data

There is a popular design for a database that requires a built-in audit-trail of amendments and additions, where data is never deleted, but superseded by a later version. Whilst this is conceptually simple, it has always made reporting the latest version of data complicated. Alex Kuznetsov joins the debate on the best way of doing this with an example using an indexed view and the filtered index.

Implementing Queuing Mechanism

Implementing a queue table in SQL server

A Tale of Identifiers

Identifiers aren't locators, and they aren't pointers or links either. They are a logical concept in a relational database, and, unlike the more traditional methods of accessing data, don't derive from the way that data gets stored. Identifiers uniquely identify members of the set, and it should be possible to validate and verify them. Celko somehow involves watches and taxi cabs to illustrate the point.

Database Design Example: Curriculum Vitae

I’ve explained the database design process in a series of articles that you can find here. In this tutorial, I’ll put that information to good use and design a database from the start of the process to the finish. To keep this example to a single article, I’ll not repeat the information from those previous articles, so make sure you look those over before reading this one.