Editing Database normalization (section)

{{Short description|Reduction of data redundancy}}
{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Expert needed|databases|talk=Expanding on normal forms & clarifying terminology|date=March 2018}}

'''Database normalization''' is the process of structuring a [[relational database]] in accordance with a series of so-called '''''[[#Normal forms|normal forms]]''''' in order to reduce [[data redundancy]] and improve [[data integrity]]. It was first proposed by [[British people|British]] [[computer scientist]] [[Edgar F. Codd]] as part of his [[relational model]].

Normalization entails organizing the [[column (database)|columns]] (attributes) and [[relation (database)|tables]] (relations) of a database to ensure that their [[Dependency theory (database theory)|dependencies]] are properly enforced by database integrity constraints. It is accomplished by applying some formal rules either by a process of ''synthesis'' (creating a new database design) or ''decomposition'' (improving an existing database design).