Designing Relational Database Systems (Dv-Mps Designing)

Because they're so complicated, many books on relational databases are either burdensomely academic (Database Management Systems is the classic example of this mode--it's superb, but one practically needs a professor to help you decode it) or so practical-minded as to be overly simple. Designing Relational Database Systems has struck an attractive balance between the two extremes by providing enough theory to enable you to design your databases intelligently, while keeping in mind real-world business practices and the practical limitations of actual database management systems.

Author Rebecca Riordan emphasizes Microsoft database products to a small degree, using Microsoft Access and the Jet engine in some of her examples. The Microsoft overtones aren't overpowering, by any means.

Riordan is an excellent writer, communicating complex details about database design clearly, referring to reinforcements (in the form of arrow-linked tables or conceptual flow diagrams) with great effect. She also uses anecdotal information--stories about getting customers to explain exactly what they want from a database system, for example--to communicate lots of practical advice to the reader. This book would be better with more information on platform-independent user interface design--which is key in publicly accessible Web databases--but that's a minor fault. Read this book if you want to be a more capable database architect. --David Wall

Topics covered: The theory and practice of designing relational databases and their management systems. The author explains tables and their relationships, queries, business logic, database schema, and interface design.