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

The Case Study: Mike's Bikes

There are numerous examples throughout the book that illustrate the concepts and techniques used in the database-design process. I've drawn these examples from a variety of databases and used them in an arbitrary fashion. Using them in this manner allows me to demonstrate that once you learn how to apply a particular concept or technique generically, you can then apply it to any other database you're designing. Therefore, your focus should always be on the concept or technique being presented, not on the example itself.

Nevertheless, I use a single database example as a case study to illustrate the steps involved in the design process. This enables me to present the process with some degree of continuity. As ...