These two papers must be purchased (and read) together for double the price of an individual paper.

As a concept, first normal form (1NF) is absolutely fundamental in the database field, and yet it isn't at all well understood by the IT community at large (at least if the available literature is anything to go by).

This two-article combo is an attempt to set the record straight; it offers a clear, precise and accurate explanation of 1NF, and it explores some of its many important implications and it debunks some misconceptions about and misuses of the concept.

C. J. DATE: WHAT FIRST NORMAL FORM REALLY MEANS

· Introduction

· Some Preliminaries

· Data Value Atomicity

· Relation-Valued Attributes

· Domains Can Contain Anything!

· RVAs Make Outer Join Unnecessary

· RVAs in Base Tables?-The Bad News

· RVAs in Base Tables?-The Good News

· A Remark on "NF² Relations"

· A Definition

· Concluding Remarks

· Appendices A-E

F. PASCAL: WHAT FIRST NORMAL FORM MEANS NOT

The purpose of this paper is to use the correct 1NF concept to debunk fallacies prevalent in the industry. In particular, the paper aims to dispel claims that so-called “multivalue database” technology violates neither 1NF, nor the relational model and that it has advantages over the latter, rather than drawbacks.

· The KISS Principle

· Let's Not Get Physical!

· Other Misconceptions

· In the Eye of the Beholder

· No Value in Multivalue!

· Conclusion

· References

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