Hello Forum!
Asking yet another one of my typical questions.
Do I understand it correctly that the underlying notion of the "normal form" databases is to eliminate repetition from every database, so as a result there's a bigger number of smaller databases?
I'm asking this question because in Chapter 3 of the 3rd edition of this book Larry is using a database that contains repeated values in the same column:
I also often find myself using databases like that, which seems to work perfectly fine.
Am I missing something, as always? Do I understand the idea of the "normal form" database incorrectly, or should there be (if we deal with the example above) a separate databases for all UNIQUE, STANDARD and PO BOX zip code types, and a separate databases for HOTSVILLE, AGUADILLA, ARECIBO and so on?
Would appreciate your input!