Normalize Your Database: NOT OPTIONAL!
Feb 28, 2004
I've been away for a while but now that I'm back one if the first things I noticed is how many of the problems on this forum could have been easily avoided by simply normalizing the database in question.
For those of you without formal SQL training, know this: You have to normalize your database. This is part of the process of database development. You can not just whack together a few tables in whatever way is the easiest for the problem at hand, because eventually your requirements will expand and then you need your data to be flexible.
Seriously, in the last 3 weeks I've seen many many questions where it is obvious that the problem is a flawed DB design, but all the so-called SQL gurus here will just answer the question without addressing the fact that the problem lies much deeper.
Here's a link I found on Google:
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~cs3710/PMmaterials/Tutorials/normalise.htm
View 8 Replies
ADVERTISEMENT
Feb 18, 2005
We have a stored proc that runs nightly and takes 90 minutes to run.
The record count in the source table is about 630,000 rows, and the destination table ends up with 765,000 rows.
It basically normalizes data from one table into another. Because we can't track date changes in the source table, we have to repopulate the 2nd table nightly.
One record of source data looks like this:
(table A)
Song_ID Terr Catalog Percent Fix Admin
1204 1 GC62755GC61378 500000500000 ABCD|EABCD|E P10336|P1314P10336|P1314
The normalized data (4 records) looks like this:
(table B)
Song Catalog Admin Fix Terr Percent
1204 GC61378 P10336 ABCD 1 500000
1204 GC61378 P1314 E 1 500000
1204 GC62755 P10336 ABCD 1 500000
1204 GC62755 P1314 E 1 500000
Is there a way that jumps out to parse this "multi-valued" data easier than using a bunch of string functions on each record (eg. charindex, substring,len)?
View 4 Replies
View Related
Mar 4, 2007
I have three tables with a relationship I've never worked withbefore. Can anyone suggest/comment on the best way to create a thirdnormal form relationship between these tables?The tables basically are:TRAIN (TRAIN_ID and 15 columns about train specs, etc)TRUCK (TRUCK_ID and 12 columns about truck specs, etc)TRANSPORTATION_ITEMThis table has, among others, two columns, TRUCK_ID and TRAIN_ID. Ifthe truck column is used there can be no data in the train column andvice versa.This relationship seems denormalized to me, but I don't remember howto normalize it. Does anyone know the correct name for this kind ofrelationship?thanks!
View 8 Replies
View Related
Oct 6, 2006
Hi,
I have a table like this:
Pk_QuestionID
Question
Choice1
Choice2
Choice3
Choice4
correctChoice
1
XYZ?
a
b
C
d
3
This has to be transferred to a more normalized schema like this
Pk_QuestionID
Question
1
XYZ?
And
Pk_OptionID
Fk_QuestionID
Choice_Description
isCorrect
1
1
a
0
2
1
b
0
3
1
c
1
4
1
d
0
We can use either the unpivot-merge or a SQL Union ALL statement to achieve most of this requirement. I am unable to figure out how to transfer the €˜correctChoice€™ column. Is there a way to achieve this?
Thanks
View 8 Replies
View Related
May 8, 2007
I am a newbie to SSIS. I have been working through SQL Server 2005 Integration Services and am quite pleased with the book and with SSIS. That said, I am having trouble determining how to handle a challenge.
The business challenge is that we need to push new inventory items that we sell from our back end accounting system onto our web site. The challenge is that each item can show up in 1 or 100 categories. The silly web software wants us to write the item and the categories that item is associated with in one transaction / command.
Stated another way, when we push an item into the web store, we need to push the item and an array of categories in the same transaction.
This is my technical challenge, I cannot figure out how to select 100 records out of an item table in MS-SQL and then create an array of categories for each of those 100 items. (items belong to >1 categories)
I thought I could use two OLE DB sources where the main source was the item table and the 2nd source was the category table.
My best guess at this point is to use an OLE DB source for the item table. Then use the script component and hard code the read from the category list within the script component.
As a note, scalability is not really an issue, there would be no more than 10-20 items being pushed at any given time.
Any help would be GREATLY appriciated.
View 5 Replies
View Related
Oct 30, 2006
Hi,I am working on SQL Server.
I have a table with columns that need to be broken down. I nees to break this table:
TelNo1 TelNo2 TelNo3
555-44-33 555-43-88 555-46-89
into:
Tel_Number
555-44-33
555-43-88
555-46-89
I tried using the union statement but i just did'nt succed. Can anyone help me,please
View 1 Replies
View Related
Oct 13, 2006
I am just getting started studying SSIS with Kirk Haselden's "Integration Services" book. The problem I am trying to solve would seem easy enough to solve in code, but I am still early in the book and would like to be able to focus on the aspects of SSIS that would help me expedite this with SSIS, or to find out early whether what I need to do cannot be easily done.
The problem itself is simple enough: I have a database of roughly 100 tables. Ignoring the poor normalization in the database for the moment, my more pressing problem is that that I need to rekey all of the main OLTP tables from a mashup of different key schemes to UNIQUEIDENTIFIERS. For example, Client table is presenrly keyed on an INT, Client Number. ClientFile table is keyed as FileType = NVARCHAR(2), ClientNumber INT, FileNumber INT (incrementing, meaningless number). Child tables to ClientFile are the same key structure as ClientFile, plus yet another (incrementing, meaningless number) INT, etc like this. I would like to know if and how or where I should be looking to convert the Client table to a UNIQUEIDENTIFIER key, and the same for the ClientFile, makes its key also a GUID, and have a reference to the new Client tables GUID key as a foreign key in the ClientFile table, and on and on like that. The Client is at the top of the food chain.
In essence, I would like to have every table's key be called ID and be a UNIQUEIDENTIFIER (GuidRow), and I would like for example, the ClientFile table to reference the Client table with a column named ClientID. I would like ClientFile's children to have a foreign key called ClientFileID, and their own keys to be ID (RowGuid).
There are also several lookups in each table where, of course, the actual string values were stored instead of a key to the value (i.e. full state or country name instead of a code from a state or country lookup table) that I need to convert to something more sensible, like replacing the state name with a state code and a country name with a country code and link to appropriate respective tables. :) In fact, some of the values I need to break out from columns could also be keyed with RowGuids as well and I would much prefer to use those than string or INT keys.
Other than those problems, most of the rest of the data in those tables could essentially ba a straight copy operation since the source database is SQL Server 2000 and moving to SQL 2005 (one notable exception is that I am converting ntext columns to nvarchar(MAX) columns.
I am assuming this is probably ridiculously simple and I just haven't found my way there yet, but I still have much of this book and the help files to go through and the Index didn't give me any comfort that this was something I will or will not be able to do easily.
The real help I am looking for is two fold: a) somebody tell me to stop reading this 700 page (very well written) tome if I would be better off writing this all in code myself, and b) if this is something that most of you could do with SSIS with both hands tied behind your back, please at least help me focus on the important transforms and tools so that I don't smend a month becoming a data warehouse wizard and ultimately not solve the problem I am most concerned with.
Please be mecriful with the heat, I have already confessed that I am new to this and am scrambling to come up to speed as fast as I can, but am beginning to think this problem is either to trivial for coverage in this book, or perhaps just not what SSIS was designed to do.
Thanks much in advance for any guidance.
View 10 Replies
View Related
Apr 23, 2014
I have a table that has the following structure:
EntryID int,
Categories varchar(200)
values look like:
541,'A,B,C'
345,'B,C'
234,'A,C'
657,'D,E'
435,'D'
what I want to do is extract the Categories column to a normalized separate table:
541,'A'
541,'B'
541,'C'
345,'B' ....
I found the split using the tally table useful to split one-by-one, but how can it be applied when you are referring to a table?
View 2 Replies
View Related
Dec 18, 2006
Hi, how can i make optional relationship?
for example: In table A, there is column 1, column 2, column3. In table B, there is column 4, column 5 and column 6.
column 1 and column 2 are primary keys for table A and table B. The relationships between table A and table B are column 2 and column 5; column3 and column 6. but optional (ie. when data exists in column 2, then column3 is null)
how can i set the relationship? because one of the columns data is null each time, error always occurs.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Nov 27, 2004
I have a select proc that will take a bunch or criteria parameters. Based on how many are not null I would like to decide how many inner joins to do.
for example:
select H1.Priceid as HotelPriceId,H2.Priceid as AirPriceId, H1.VendorPackageId from
(
select HA.PriceId, HA.VendorPackageId from Criteria HA Inner Join
(
select VendorPackageId from ValidVendorPackages
where Vendor = 'SBT'
and Sitecode = 'system'
and PackageType = 'AHCF'
)HB on HA.VendorPackageId = HB.VendorPackageId
and
(
CriteriaId in
(
select CriteriaID from ValidItemCriteria
where Destination = 'LAS'
and LengthOfStay = 5
and Ages = 'A2'
and ComponentType = @ComponentType_1
and ValidItemType = @ValidItemType_1
and ItemValue = @ItemValue_1
)
)
)H1 INNER JOIN
(
select HA.PriceId, HA.VendorPackageId from Criteria HA Inner Join
(
select VendorPackageId from ValidVendorPackages
where Vendor = 'SBT'
and Sitecode = 'system'
and PackageType = 'AHCF'
)HB on HA.VendorPackageId = HB.VendorPackageId
and
(
CriteriaId in
(
select CriteriaID from ValidItemCriteria
where Destination = 'LAS'
and LengthOfStay = 5
and Ages = 'A2'
and ComponentType = @ComponentType_2
and ValidItemType = @ValidItemType_2
and ItemValue = @ItemValue_2
)
)
)H2 on H1.Priceid = H2.priceId Inner Join
(
select HA.PriceId, HA.VendorPackageId from Criteria HA Inner Join
(
select VendorPackageId from ValidVendorPackages
where Vendor = 'SBT'
and Sitecode = 'system'
and PackageType = 'AHCF'
)HB on HA.VendorPackageId = HB.VendorPackageId
and
(
CriteriaId in
(
select CriteriaID from ValidItemCriteria
where Destination = 'LAS'
and LengthOfStay = 5
and Ages = 'A2'
and ComponentType = @ComponentType_3
and ValidItemType = @ValidItemType_3
and ItemValue = @ItemValue_3
)
)
)H3 on H2.Priceid = H3.priceId
if values are only passed in from @ComponentType_1,@ValidItemType_1,@ItemValue_1 I dont want to do any inner joins.
If its passed in for @ComponentType_1,@ValidItemType_1,@ItemValue_1 & @ComponentType_2,@ValidItemType_2,@ItemValue_2 I want to do the first Inner Join.
and of course if I get all 3 sets of criteria I want to do both the inner joins.
I know I can cut and past this thing 3 times with an if statement but that isn't going to be practical.
View 14 Replies
View Related
Jan 27, 2004
Is it possible to define an argument as optional for a UDF? I have a financial calculation that may or may not require a defined date range depending on the status of an individual item. Is there a way to avoid requiring the date range where it's not necessary?
View 10 Replies
View Related
May 5, 2004
I have a SP with many parameters. If not supplied, parameter default value is NULL.
The parameters are to be used in the WHERE clause:
ALTER PROCEDURE dbo.SearchFlight
(
@DepartureDate datetime = null,
@ReturnDate datetime= null,
@MaxPrice money= null,
@Country int= null,
)
AS
SELECT *
FROM myTables with joint
WHERE
DepartureDate = @DepartureDate
AND ReturnDate = @ReturnDate
AND MaxPrice = @MaxPrice
AND Country = @Country
If a parameter is null, I dont want it to be in the WHERE clause.
I dont want to use a string parameter and execute a "string" select.
I dont want to use a combination of IF to check everything ...
Is ther a solution ? using Case statement ???
Thanks for your help
View 10 Replies
View Related
Sep 15, 2005
Is there an option in a stored procedure whereby a parameter can be flagged as optional? I have a stored procedure with 2 parameters, Product and Date, and I would like to be able to just pass the Product, or pass Product and Date from an Access project. Is this possible?
View 5 Replies
View Related
Apr 13, 2006
Hello,
Is it possible to define optional parameters for a stored procedure?
What I want is to create a search with about 8 parameters, but most users will only use 3 or 4, so It would be nice If I could only provide the used parameters in my code. And have sql give the unused parameters a default value (possibly %)
thx.
View 4 Replies
View Related
Jul 20, 2007
Hello everyone.
I have a package in DTS that I am tryinig to work with. We have a few queries that will export the same exact table to a text file. I am trying to make it so we can pull a previously created text file from a central "CommonFile" folder. In this package I have a Execute Package Task. This second package is only for creating this common txt file. I want this step to only run if the file is non-existant (i.e. someone deleted/moved it by accident) or if it is over a week old (the database we pull it from it updated on sundays). I can run it so the comment txt file get created first thing on monday, but I still want a failsafe in there incase the file is deleted/moved or the package to create it fails.
I have an ActiveX script set up which checks if the file exists and if it does then checks to see how old it is Then from there I would like to jump to a different area of my package:
Code Snippet
Dim pkg
Dim stpbegin
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFSO.FileExists(".txt") = TRUE THEN
msgbox("COPY")
Set objFile = objFSO.GetFile(".txt")
Dim today
Dim thisweek
today = date()
thisweek = (Weekday(date())-2)
IF thisweek < 0 THEN thisweek = 6 'Sunday Weekday() = 1 so this will put it at the end of the week.
IF (date() - thisweek) <= objFile.DateLastModified THEN
msgbox("COPY")
set pkg = DTSGlobalVariables.Parent
set stpbegin = pkg.Steps("DTSStep_DTSActiveScriptTask_4")
stpbegin.ExecutionStatus = DTSStepExecStat_Waiting
ELSE
msgbox("CREATE")
set pkg = DTSGlobalVariables.Parent
set stpbegin = pkg.Steps("DTSStep_DTSExecutePackageTask_1")
stpbegin.ExecutionStatus = DTSStepExecStat_Waiting
END IF
ELSE
msgbox("CREATE")
set pkg = DTSGlobalVariables.Parent
set stpbegin = pkg.Steps("DTSStep_DTSExecutePackageTask_1")
stpbegin.ExecutionStatus = DTSStepExecStat_Waiting
END IF
Main = DTSTaskExecResult_Success
End Function
The problem I am having is despite the ActiveX script the package will run the execute package task no matter what (i dont see a way to post pics so I will try to draw bellow). I think this is due to me having a success between the ActiveX and the EPT. This is the only way I know of how to step this up. If i do a completion it will also do the EPT and if I do a failure it won't do anything at all after it.
DTSActiveScriptTask_3 (from above) --> success --> DTSExecutePackageTask_1 --> success --> DTSActiveScriptTask_4
So basically I want this pagage to jump over the DTSExecutePackageTask_1 if the file checks out as okay. Does anyone have a suggestion of how I can set up this package?
View 1 Replies
View Related
Nov 26, 2007
I'm using an application that is generating some SQL scripts for SQL Server 2005. I'm trying tweak it so that I can run it on SQL Server 2000.
The line that I'm having trouble with is:
CREATE INDEX FKFFF41F9960601995 ON alf_access_control_entry (permission_id);(optional)
The key word "(optional)" is causing trouble.
I understand this keyword, when used in SQL Server 2005, let's the script continue and complete when errors are detected.
What is the alternative syntax to use in SQL Server 2000?
Thanks,
-Q
View 1 Replies
View Related
Apr 17, 2008
Hi, I'm having a problem trying to do optional items in where clause. I'd appreciate some help, heres the code.
select DFD.Col1 as 'Col1',CMD.Col2 as 'Col2'
from Control as DFD,MetaData as
CMD,Columns as DC,Tables as DT
where DFD.GroupID in
({0}) and
(CMD.MetaDataId = DFD.PrimaryID --
or CMD.MetaDataId = DFD.ForeignID -- These are the problem 3 lines
or CMD.MetaDataId=DFD.HumanColumn) --
and DFD.Disabled='N' and CMD.Disabled='N' and DC.ColumnsId=CMD.ColumnId
and DC.Disabled='N' and DT.TablesId=DC.TableID and DT.Disabled='N'
-- For the problem rows I need to be able to optionally search if they're = to MetaDataID. Right now this query will return only rows that have metadataid = PrimaryID or Foreign, Human. I need to be able to return all rows with the optional dependancies.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Oct 30, 2006
Is it possible to set up a one to one relationship between two tables, where one side of the relationship is optional? For example, I have two tables "Applicant", and "Client":A client will always have one applicant
View 3 Replies
View Related
Jan 16, 2004
I need to use a parameter in a stored procedure that is optional and if it is optional I need all records returned, even if there is an entry in the field that the parameter is appllied to. Is this possible? I know I can assign a default value. but the value in the field could be one of many choices. I want to be able to specify a choice and have only those records returned or leave it blank and return all records.
Thanks for any help,
View 4 Replies
View Related
Aug 5, 2005
I have a web page I want to run a stored procedure from. In the web page I have three drop downs Business Area, Business Unit and Reporting PeriodThe drop downs determine whether all projects are returned or all projects for a certain business unit / business area or month.This means I have to tailor my sql statement accordingly. What I want to know is can I append sections of a sql statement ie add or subtract more where clauses depending on the values pulled in from the web page.At the moment I have only accounted for 2 variables and that has caused me to create 4 IF statements depending on the values. 3 variables would cause even more IF statements and multiple combinations which I am trying to avoid.
View 2 Replies
View Related
Jun 9, 2000
I need some help...
I'm trying to execute a stored procedure and I'm getting this message
Run-Time Error '-2147217887 (80040e21)':
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Optional feature not implemented
Here is the code:
Public Function D2L(sconnect As Variant, dDate As Variant) As Variant
Dim rsDate As ADODB.Recordset
Dim cmdDate As ADODB.Command
Dim prmDate As ADODB.Parameter
Set cmdDate = New ADODB.Command
Set ADOConn = New ADODB.Connection
ADOConn.Open sconnect
Set cmdDate.ActiveConnection = ADOConn
cmdDate.CommandText = "dbo.UP_CVRT_DATE_TO_LONG"
cmdDate.CommandType = adCmdStoredProc
Set prmDate = New ADODB.Parameter
prmDate.Type = adDate
'prmDate.Size = 32
prmDate.Direction = adParamInput
prmDate.Value = dDate
cmdDate.Parameters.Append prmDate
Set rsDate = cmdDate.Execute()
Thanks in advance for any responses...
View 1 Replies
View Related
Aug 30, 2004
Hello guys,
I want to implement a searching with a stored procedure. As an example I have a table like
> tableA ; Id,Name,Surname,Gender(bit) 0 -Male , 1 - Female
If i want to choose all records that are male, I could simply have a query like this :
SELECT * FROM tableA WHERE Gender = 0
and vice versa for female.
If i want to choose all rows in the table i should omit where clause.
The problem is , when i use a stored procedure i should send a parameter. And i dont know if there is a possible way to to do this. When i try such procedure :
CREATE astoredprc
(@gender bit)
AS
SELECT * FROM tableA WHERE Gender = @Gender
GO
--
In such prc. i can only get rows with a where clause. What if i want to use the same procedure with all rows and omiting where. I have many fields like this and I m unsure if I should use a text query or not ...
Thanks for all of u from now on
View 4 Replies
View Related
Jan 23, 2004
I'm looking for opinions here:
I have a stored procedure that has one required variable, and two optional variables, like this:
CREATE PROCEDURE sp_tariff_rule
@tariff_id INT,
@start_date DATETIME = NULL,
@end_date DATETIME = NULL
...etc...
I want the procedure to process
1) all data is no dates are presented
2) all data after the start date, if no end date is supplied
3) all data before the end date if no start date is supplied
4) all data between the start and end dates if both are supplied
Now, instead of an elaborate conditional, I added this to the WHERE clause of my SQL statement:
AND ((@start_date IS NULL OR service_date >= @start_date) AND (@end_date IS NULL OR service_date <= @end_date))
It works fine, but I want to know if anyone has a different/better way of doing it, or if there is a big bug waiting to happen here.
I typically don't like to create multipurpose routines in my code, but this is a better approach for my in a non-object-oriented world of SQL.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Jan 19, 2008
Hi, I wish to create a user defined funtion in sqlserver2005 with optional parameter list. So at the time of function calling the parameters should be a optional one. How can i do this? please help me .
View 2 Replies
View Related
Feb 13, 2008
Good day,
I have an issue on constructing dynamic WHERE conditions that use OPTIONAL parameters.
SP_SOMETHING (
1) @DateFrom datetime,
@DateTo datetime,
2) @Param1 char(8),
3) @Param2 char(3),
4) @Param3 tinyint
)
I would like to use a where clause that can make use of any combination of the 4 parameters (the two dates should be together)
1 2 3 4
/ x x x
x / x x
x x / x where x = not supplied
/ = supplied a value
(and so the list continues)
Can anybody assist me or give me insights on how to go about this complicated WHERE construct without listing all the probable combinations of the supplied parameters in series of IF statements.
thank you
View 3 Replies
View Related
Jul 23, 2005
Is it possible to have the field as a unique key and a optional one?It is like.. for example, office code has to be unique (cannot beduplicated with the same code) and it could be null too.
View 1 Replies
View Related
Sep 10, 2005
Dear GroupI'd like SQLManager to start on Win98. I've added it to StartUp and itshows in the right-bottom corner of the desktop upon operating systemstart but the database still shows as stopped. Is there's a command Ican use like SQLMANGR.EXE /start or SQLMANGR.EXE /run from the commandline?Thanks very much for your efforts and sharing your expertise!Martin
View 1 Replies
View Related
Nov 6, 2005
Hi All,I have a stored proc which looks like this.Create ....(@id int,@ud int,@td int=0)if @td=0select bkah from asdf where id=@id and ud=@udelseselect bkah from asdf where id=@id and ud=@ud and td=@td---------------------------------I am wondering if i could replace if condition with the following lineselect bkah from asdf where id=@id and ud=@udand ( @td<>0 and td>@td )IS sql server 2000 smart enough not to use the td>@td in the query if@td is 0Thanks all
View 3 Replies
View Related
Jul 20, 2005
Hi All!General statement: FK should not be nullabe to avoid orphans in DB.Real life:Business rule says that not every record will have a parent. It isimplemented as a child record has FK that is null.It works, and it is simpler.The design that satisfy business rule and FK not null can beimplemented but it will be more complicated.Example: There are clients. A client might belong to only one group.Case A.Group(GroupID PK, Name,Code…)Client(ClientID PK, Name, GroupID FK NULL)Case B(more cleaner)Group(GroupID PK, Name, GroupCode…)Client (ClientID PK, Name, ….)Subtype:GroupedClient (PersonID PK/FK, GroupID FK NOT NULL)There is one more entity in Case B and it will require an additionaljoin in compare with caseAExample: Select all clients that belongs to any groupSummary Q: Is it worth to go with CaseB?Thank you in advance
View 20 Replies
View Related
Jul 27, 2007
On many reports I have optional parameters, for example if the employee is filled in it will run for that employee but if it's null it runs for all employees. Which is the best way to handle this?
The two options I am currently looking at are:
select * from employee where (employee.id = @EmpID or @EmpID is Null)
select * from employee where isnull(@empID, employee.id) = employee.id
Anyone else have a different solution?
Currently we use the OR approach and I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts before switching to using IsNull, which seems a bit better.
View 8 Replies
View Related
Sep 11, 2007
Can I create a report that offers users a choice for the parameter. I want to show a sales report based on either Fiscal year or Calender Year. Can I do that with one report that allows an option on which parameter to choose or do I need two reports.
Thanks.
View 6 Replies
View Related
Nov 8, 2007
I am using Oracle 7.3 against SSRS. I have created an inline query with 7 unnamed parameters. I have named them in SSRS parameters window and selected NULL and ALLOW BLANK check boxes for all the parameters.
a.)
What I think should happen is: I should be able to pass the combination of parameters NOT all of them, because I have selected NULL and Blank check boxes. But in my case the query is not giving me any results if I pass 2 of 7 parameters. I can see the results only when I pass all 7 parameters.
Please Help me...
b.)
Is there a way I can create a Dynamic WHERE condition using ORACLE 7.3 as database and OUT REF cursor as out parameter for generating parameters. An Example would be great.......
I am much familar with SQL Server and creting a dynamic query is no problem. Because of this new assignment in Oracle 7.3 I am pulling my hair to solve this perticlaur problem...
Please guys / gals help..
Thanks,
Deepak
View 6 Replies
View Related
May 12, 2008
hi all,
I am using SQL reporting services 2005, i like to have a parameter as optional, is there is any diresct way to set a parameter as optional without setting through the default value.
View 6 Replies
View Related
