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database design research

hi everyone,

im looking to develop an online restaurant reservation system using PHP and MYSQL but im not too sure about the systems database design.

Does any one know any good starting points for me to start my research...

Ive got substantial knowledge in PHP and sql so thats not a worry, its just the actual database design.

thanks

Do you know how to create relational data.,..

Quote:

A relational database management system (RDBMS) takes things one step further by creating relationships among the tables that make up a database. These relationships can then be used to combine data from multiple tables in various ways, allowing a user to view the same data from various perspectives and then use this enhanced vision to make better (read: more efficient and cost-effective) business decisions. By creating links among related pieces of information, an RDBMS thus not only makes it possible to store information more efficiently (by removing redundancies and repetition), but it also brings to the fore hitherto undiscovered relationships among disparate segments of data and permits efficient exploitation of those relationships.
source

To normailization...

Quote:

Database normalization can essentially be defined as the practice of optimizing table structures. Optimization is accomplished as a result of a thorough investigation of the various pieces of data that will be stored within the database, in particular concentrating upon how this data is interrelated. An analysis of this data and its corresponding relationships is advantageous because it can result both in a substantial improvement in the speed in which the tables are queried, and in decreasing the chance that the database integrity could be compromised due to tedious maintenance procedures.
source (part 1)
source (part 2)

A discussion on databases would probably be better suited in the database forum. I'll move it there..

I'm not sure what you're asking for, exactly. The basic concepts of normalisation are scattered all over the web (a search for database normalization will give you a big list that will get you to at least 2nf pretty easily and maybe 3nf). Getting an entire database to 2nf is usually good enough; 3nf is nice, but not always sensible; beyond 3nf is more interesting than practical.

eg (simple introductions)
http://www.databasejournal.com/sqlet...6861_1428511_1
http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/...alization.html

The formal theory of normalisation is a fairly mathematical/programatic theory. If you want that, then you would probably be wise to start with Codd (Edgar F Codd) who first formalised normal forms. Subsequent normal forms all build on his original formulation.

eg (prtty simple introduction, but gives the names you need to search for)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_normalization

thanks for all of the replies,
i have looked at normalisation methods and i do believe that m getting somewhere.
thanks for the help guys