09/19/23: For the latest on this subject see: FIRST NORMAL FORM - A DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Note: This
is a 11/23/17 revision of Part 3 of a three-part series that replaced all
of my previous posts on the subject (pages of which redirect here), in
order to further tighten integration with the formalization and
interpretation [1] of McGoveran's formalization and interpretation [1] of Codd's true RDM.
(Continued from Part 2)
"Is this table in 1NF?" is a common question in database practice. On the other hand, "What problems are solved by splitting street addresses into individual columns?", or What's the best way to store an array in a relational database does not seem to evoke associations with 1NF. This reveals poor foundation knowledge.
Part 1 introduced the poor understanding of 1NF and Part 2 provided a correct definition and explanation. Part 3 explains how 1NF can be enforced by the data sublanguage, which SQL does not.