Database Design for Mere Mortals™: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, Second Edition

Resolving a Multivalued Field

Use this generic procedure to resolve a multivalued field:

1. Remove the field from the table and use it as the basis for a new table. If necessary, rename the field in accordance with the field name guidelines that you learned earlier.

2. Take the primary key from the original table and incorporate it into the new table structure. This field will perform two specific functions in the new table: It will serve as part of the table's composite primary key, and it will serve as a foreign key that helps to establish the relationship between the new table and the original table.

3. Assign an appropriate name, type, and description to the new table and add it to the final table list.