1. Module 3
Designing and
Implementing Tables

2. Module Overview
• Designing Tables
• Working with Schemas
• Creating and Altering Tables

3. Lesson 1: Designing Tables
• What is a Table?
• Normalizing Data
• Common Normalization Forms
• Demonstration 1A: Normalization
• Primary Keys
• Foreign Keys
• Working with System Tables

4. What is a Table?
• Relational databases store data in tables (relation)
 Defined by a collection of columns (identified by name)
 Contain zero or more rows
• Tables typically represent a type of object or entity
 Employees, PurchaseOrders, Customers, SalesOrders
 Consistent naming convention for tables is important
 Tables are a security boundary
• Each row usually represents a single object or entity
 One customer, one purchase order, one employee
 Rows of Tables have no order

5. Normalizing Data
• Normalization is a process
 Ensures that database structures are appropriate
 Ensures that poor design characteristics are avoided
• Edgar F. Codd invented the relational model
 Introduced the concept of normalization
 Referred the degrees of normalization as "forms"
• Database designs should start normalized
 Denormalization might be applied later to improve
performance or to make analysis of data easier

6. Common Normalization Forms
• 1st Form
 Eliminate repeating groups in individual tables.
 Create a separate table for each set of related data.
 Identify each set of related data with a primary key.
• 2nd Form
 Create separate tables for sets of values that apply to multiple
records.
 Relate these tables with a foreign key.
• 3rd Form
 Eliminate fields that do not depend on the key.

7. Demonstration 1A: Normalization
• In this demonstration, you will see the common
normalization errors.

8. Primary Keys
• Candidate key can be used to uniquely identify a row
 Must be unique and cannot be unknown
 Can involve multiple columns
 Should not change
 Primary key is one candidate key
 Most tables will only have a single candidate key
• Substantial ongoing debate surrounding natural vs.
surrogate keys
 Natural key – formed from data related to the entity
 Surrogate key – usually codes or numbers

9. Foreign Keys
• Foreign keys are references between tables
 Foreign key in one table holds a candidate key for another table
 Usually the primary key for consistency
 Self-references are permitted such as an employee table that
references a manager who is also an employee
• Rows cannot be inserted in a referencing table that do not exist
in the referenced table
 CustomerOrders cannot be entered for non-existent customers
 A referenced key cannot be deleted or updated
• Multiple foreign keys might exist in a table
 These can even reference the same table

10. Working with System Tables
• SQL Server provides a set of system tables
 Should not be directly modified
• In SQL Server 2005, most were replaced by a set of
permission-based system views
• Some system tables in the msdb database are still useful
 dbo.backupset
 dbo.restorehistory
 dbo.sysjobhistory

11. Lesson 2: Working with Schemas
• What is a Schema?
• Object Name Resolution
• Creating Schemas
• Demonstration 2A: Schemas

12. What is a Schema?
• Schemas are containers for objects
 Tables
 Stored Procedures
 Functions
 Types
 Views
• Schemas are security boundaries
 Permissions can be granted at the schema level to apply to all
objects within a schema
 Simplifies security configuration

13. Object Name Resolution
• If the schema name is omitted, rules apply to how the
name will be resolved
 Each user has a default schema (does not apply to Windows
groups)
 Users with no defined default schema will have dbo as their
default schema
 First search is in the user's default schema
 If not found, the dbo schema is searched also
• Whenever referencing an object in a statement, users
should specify both the schema and the object name
 SELECT ProductID FROM Production.Product

14. Creating Schemas
• Schemas are created using the CREATE SCHEMA command
• Schemas have owners
 Objects contained within schemas also have owners
• Schema objects and permissions can be created in the same
statement as the creation of the schema
CREATE SCHEMA Reporting
AUTHORIZATION Terry;
CREATE SCHEMA KnowledgeBase
AUTHORIZATION Paul
CREATE TABLE Article (ArticleID int IDENTITY(1,1)
PRIMARY KEY,
ArticleContents xml)
GRANT SELECT TO Salespeople;

15. Demonstration 2A: Schemas
• In this demonstration you will see how to:
 Create a schema
 Create a schema with an included object
 Drop a schema

16. Lesson 3: Creating and Altering Tables
• Creating Tables
• Dropping Tables
• Altering Tables
• Demonstration 3A: Working with Tables
• Temporary Tables
• Demonstration 3B: Temporary Tables
• Computed Columns
• Demonstration 3C: Computed Columns

17. Creating Tables
• Tables are created with the CREATE TABLE statement
• Columns need to be specified
• Nullability should be specified
• Primary Key should be identified
CREATE TABLE PetStore.Owner
( OwnerID int IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
OwnerName nvarchar(30) NOT NULL,
HairColor nvarchar(10) NULL
);

18. Dropping Tables
• Tables are removed by the DROP TABLE statement
• Referenced tables (via foreign keys) cannot be dropped
• All permissions, constraints, indexes, and triggers are also
dropped
• Code that references the table is not dropped
 Stored procedures
 Functions
DROP TABLE PetStore.Owner;
GO

19. Altering Tables
• Tables are modified using the ALTER TABLE statement
• ALTER TABLE retains permissions on the table
• ALTER TABLE retains the data in the table
• Add/Drop columns and constraints
• Enable/Disable constraints and triggers
ALTER TABLE PetStore.Owner
ADD PreferredName nvarchar(30) NULL;
GO
ALTER TABLE PetStore.Owner
DROP COLUMN PreferredName;
GO

20. Demonstration 3A: Working with Tables
• In this demonstration, you will see how to:
 Create tables
 Alter tables
 Drop tables

21. Temporary Tables
• Session temporary tables are only visible to their creators in the
same session and same scope or sub-scope
 Created with a # prefix
 Dropped when the user disconnects or when out of scope
 Should be deleted in code rather than depending on automatic drop
 Are often created using SELECT INTO statements
• Global temporary tables are visible to all users
 Created with a ## prefix
 Deleted when all users referencing the table disconnect
CREATE TABLE #Squares
( Number int PRIMARY KEY,
NumberSquared int
);
GO

22. Demonstration 3B: Temporary Tables
• In this demonstration, you will see how to work with
temporary tables

23. Computed Columns
• Computed columns are derived from other columns or from
functions
• Computed columns are often used to provide easier access to
data without denormalizing it
• Persisted computed columns improve SELECT performance of
computed columns in some situations
CREATE TABLE PetStore.Pet
(PetID int IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
PetName nvarchar(30) NOT NULL,
DateOfBirth date NOT NULL,
YearOfBirth AS DATEPART(year,DateOfBirth) PERSISTED
);
GO

24. Demonstration 3C: Computed Columns
• In this demonstration, you will see how to work with
computed columns

25. Lab 3: Designing and Implementing Tables
• Exercise 1: Improve the Design of Tables
• Exercise 2: Create a Schema
• Challenge Exercise 3: Create the Tables (Only if time
permits)
Logon information
Virtual machine 623XB-MIA-SQL
User name AdventureWorksAdministrator
Password Pa$$w0rd
Estimated time: 45 minutes

26. Lab Scenario
A business analyst from your organization has provided you
with a first-pass at a schema design for some new tables
being added to the MarketDev database. You need to
provide an improved schema design based on good design
practices and an appropriate level of normalization. The
business analyst was also confused about when data should
be nullable. You need to decide about nullability for each
column in your improved design.
The new tables need to be isolated in their own schema.
You need to create the required schema DirectMarketing.
The owner of the schema should be dbo.
When the schema has been created, if you have available
time, you need to create the tables that have been
designed.

27. Lab Review
• When should a table be declared as nullable?
• Could columns such as AddressLine1, AddressLine2,
AddressLine3 be reasonable in a normalized design?
• How would this differ from fields called PhoneNumber1,
PhoneNumber2, PhoneNumber3?

28. Module Review and Takeaways
• Review Questions
• Best Practices