Correct Normalization of mysql database

[mfaine]

Ok, here I have a database called mysoftware with 6 tables which I am going to set up like this, does this look correct. I'm no real newbie but I'm kind of new to getting it right.

Seems a little bit like overkill for me but I'm not sure, I'm here to learn so commence with the teaching.


TABLE SOFTWARE

| s_id
| s_category_id
| s_subcategory_id
| s_media_id
| s_reg_id

--------------------------------

TABLE CATEGORY

| s_id
| s_category_id
| s_category

---------------------------------

TABLE SUBCATEGORY

| s_id
| s_subcategory_id
| s_subcategory

--------------------------------

TABLE DESCRIPTION

| s_description_id
| s_description
| s_title

--------------------------------

TABLE MEDIA

| s_id
| s_media_id
| s_media_name
| s_media_filesize

---------------------------------

TABLE REGISTRATION

| s_id
| s_reg_num

---------------------------------

-Mark

[westmich]

Couple suggestions -

Do you need the seperate table for descriptions? Wouldn't they be specific for each software? I would add ts_description to the software table and drop the rest of the Description table.

Would the file_size field be better off in the software table?

Isn't the registration number unique to each software? I would add registration number to the software table and drop the rest of the registration table. Unless you've seperated it into a one-to-one relationship for security reasons.

[Umair.ms]

I've a suggestions.


TABLE CATEGORY

| s_id
| s_category_id
| s_category

---------------------------------

TABLE SUBCATEGORY

| s_id
| s_subcategory_id
| s_subcategory

relace it with the following:

TABLE CATEGORY

s_id
s_category_id
s_parent_cat_id
s_category

Now for a top level category, s_parent_cat_id may be NULL and for the sub categories you can place the s_category_id of the parent category. Just an idea.