Practical SQL

7TABLE DESIGN THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Obsession with detail can be a good thing. When you’re running out the door, it’s reassuring to know your keys will be hanging on the hook where you always leave them. The same holds true for database design. When you need to excavate a nugget of information from dozens of tables and millions of rows, you’ll appreciate a dose of that same detail obsession. When you organize data into a finely tuned, smartly named set of tables, the analysis experience becomes more manageable.

In this chapter, I’ll build on Chapter 6 by introducing best practices for organizing and tuning SQL databases, whether they’re yours or ...