If you work in a design industry or are practicing to become a database designer, you’ll need to learn and master database designs to create applications and develop new programs. Learning database designs typically requires that you have the best database design books. Of course, choosing the best database design books can come with stress, especially if you are not so experienced in buying these books.
We understand your need for accurate and trustworthy information about the data design books that you’ll buy. For this, we’ve taken our time to conduct tons of research about the best database design books. When creating our list of recommended database design books, we considered contents, online availability, and reviews from other readers. Therefore, you can rest assured that this list offers you nothing but the best books to learn database designs.
If you want to just get back to studying, get our top choice for database design books here.
Last update: 2024-05-01
Our Favorites for Best Database Design Books
Beginning Database Design Solutions by Rod Stephens
Although intended for I.T. students and professionals, Beginning Database Design Solutions is a book that fits just anybody looking to master the design and analysis of databases. The material is written to serve as an introductory text to database design solutions. Still, it also contains sections that will benefit professionals looking for a high-level understanding of databases. The author makes the language as simplified as possible for non-programmers whose role may overlap so that they become responsible for handling proposals, project management, and the design of databases.
The core of the book focuses on explaining data design. It walks you through the process of planning a database structure in a manner that makes the database robust, flexible, and resistant to errors. You’ll also learn how to discover the requirements of each database, as well as how to build and refine data models to improve its efficacy. The book uses detailed examples to solidify the concepts of database design.
What Makes It Unique:
- Beginning Database Design Solutions offer a clear explanation of the basic concepts of database without assuming that you have any prior experience with database.
- The later chapters of this book explain how you can actually begin building database using MySQL and Access 2007
- Provides some proven tools and methods for you to efficient and reliable databases.
Why Choose this Best Database Design Book:
- Delivers the mathematics and theoretical foundations of database in a simplified manner to aid easier understanding.
- Perfect for self-study with deep and pretty technical details that are helpful and interesting.
- The author injects a good mix of humor here and there to make learning fun.
- STEPHENS, ROD (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 552 Pages - 10/27/2008 (Publication Date) - Jossey-Bass (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Six-Step Relational Database Design (2nd Edition) by Fidel A. Captain
In Six-Step Relational Database Design, Fidel A. Captain attempts to bridge the gaps that exist between database theory, database modeling, and database implementation. The contents of this book bridge the gap by outlining a simple six-step process that has been proven accurate and reliable for modeling user’s data on a crow’s foot relational model diagram. The book also goes further to illustrate how this model can be implemented successfully on different relational database management systems.
As an advancement to the First Edition, this edition comes with an additional chapter on implementation, going through all the steps necessary for implementing each case study. Additionally, this Edition includes additional questions at the end of each step with a previous case study replaced to make the case study selection diverse.
Perhaps the biggest win for this book is its degree of comprehensiveness, making it an excellent handbook for both students and professionals looking to update their knowledge in the field of software development.
What Makes It Unique:
- Contains a full description of techniques that can be used by students when they want to quickly develop relational databases to be used for applications.
- Six-Step Relational Database Design is comprehensive with the necessary information needed to convert database theories into full implementation.
- Works well as a self-help book with case studies and exercises to walk students and professionals through creating accurate and reliable relational database models.
Why Choose this Best Database Design Book:
- A short, straight-to-the-point, and methodical book that teaches database design from conceptualization to application.
- Includes self-explanatory diagrams and symbols that make for easier study.
- Contains easy to follow steps to guide you even without prior-experience.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Captain, Fidel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-04-30
Runner Ups for Best Database Design Books
Database Design and Relational Theory by C.J. Date
Renowned expert, C.J. Date uses this book to bridge the gap that exists between design theory and design practice. He does this by introducing design theory in a manner that practitioners can relate to. Database Design and Relational Theory starts by demonstrating why it is important to learn proper database design in the first place.
Every chapter of this book builds on the previous to explain how theoretical ideas can be fully implemented in practice. These features combine to show anyone who has more than a passing interest in database design how they can use important theoretical design for creating good database design. The inclusion of exercises at the end of every chapter helps you to gauge how well you’ll be able to apply everything you are learning in practice.
What Makes It Unique:
- Database Design and Relational Theory goes beyond and above the basics, making it an excellent option for both beginners and advanced database designers.
- Written in an easy to understand manner to walk you through any difficult process when working on database design
- The contents of this book can help you avoid subtle errors and processing problems when you attempt to produce database designs.
Why Choose this Best Database Design Book:
- Provides valuable insight into the field of database design without any limitations from any organized database system
- It deals with an otherwise uninteresting topic clearly and comprehensively.
- Date, C. J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 470 Pages - 12/16/2019 (Publication Date) - Apress (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Database Illuminated, (4th Edition) by Catherine M. Ricardo and Susan D. Urban
Co-written by two well-known programming specialists, Database Illuminated, (4th Edition) does a good job in combining database theory with a practical approach to the design of databases as well as its implementation. An excellent option for intermediate programmers looking for the right content to transition them from programming basics to more practical aspects. Its content of strong pedagogical features like real-world examples, accessible language, lab exercises, engaging projects, and downloadable codes makes it great for professionals looking to learn new aspects of database programming through a comprehensive and interactive ebook.
Unlike previous editions, this Edition provides an integrated modern approach to programming databases, making it an excellent option for students or professionals venturing into the expanding field. It has a lot of similar information to the previous Edition; however, almost everything has been updated, making it a good option for tackling modern problems.
What Makes It Unique:
- Database Illuminated, (4th Edition) is a comprehensive and interactive ebook with a full suite of instructor resources to make learning easy.
- Contains new chapters on the emerging topics of big data, NewSQL, and NoSQL with materials on JDBC and temporal database queries.
- Contains lots of examples to demonstrate concepts before going into proper details of the basics.
Why Choose this Best Database Design Book:
- Comprehensively explains complicated aspects of database to aid self-study.
- In-depth coverage of security, big data, and NoSQL.
- Ricardo, Catherine M. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 682 Pages - 03/23/2022 (Publication Date) - Jones & Bartlett Learning (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Value Pick for Best Database Design Books
SQL Antipatterns: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming by Bill Karwin
Having helped thousands of people improve in writing SQL and building stronger relational databases, Bill Karwin shares his collection of antipatterns in this book. SQL Antipatterns focuses mainly on identifying the most common errors that the author has come across throughout his history of solving problems, as well as suggesting possible escape routes from them. Each chapter of this book identifies a unique and potentially dangerous antipattern; then, it goes on to explain and provide corrective measures for these antipatterns.
Grouping antipatterns into four parts (physical database design, logical database design, application development, and queries), SQL Antipatterns suggests that there’s a high chance that the database layer of your application already contains problems like Keyless Entry, Index Shotgun, Spaghetti Query, and Fear of the Unknown. It goes ahead to guide you on the path towards finding these problems and fixing them. It also shows you useful steps that will help you avoid similar problems in the future.
What Makes It Unique:
- Written to walk you through the processes of designing and building databases, writing better database queries, and integrating SQL programming with your application like a pro.
- SQL Antipatterns shows you all the common mistakes in database programming and then points you in the right direction of fixing them.
- Offers you enough information so you can learn what you need about relational databases.
Why Choose this Best Database Design Book:
- Each chapter is broken up into an easy-to-understand format with problems followed by solutions, explanations, and alternative solutions.
- Although it contains a lot of basic information, it still does well in identifying clever tricks to navigate problems.
- Offers enough information to help you access the consequences of many workarounds that seem innocent at first.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Karwin, Bill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-01
How to Choose the Best Database Design Books for You
Getting the best database design books can be a headache for anybody, especially if you don’t have the right guide to point you in the right direction. Each of the recommended database design books in this article has sufficient content to update your knowledge on the intricacies of database design. If you choose to search for a book by yourself, then here are some factors that you should look out for.
Are You New to Database Design and Ready to Learn the Basics?
This is the first question that you’ll need to ask yourself. If you are new to database design, then an excellent place to start would be to buy books that treat beginning database design solutions.
Being true to yourself about your expertise would put you on the right track of getting materials that suit you. Thankfully, there are tons of books from reliable writers that treat the basics of database design. Simply ask your vendor for recommendations on the best database books to buy as a beginner. This way, you’ll have a strong foundation before going into the practical aspect.
What Books on Database Design Do We Recommend for Experienced Developers?
As you develop in your expertise, your book-needs would start to change. At this point, your key focus would be to get materials that will help you master database design instead of learning the basics.
If you take a quick stroll around your bookstore, you’ll find some books written for your level of expertise. If you are confused about it, then you should seek advice from your book vendor or read reviews about the books online.
Wrapping Things Up: The Best Database Design Books
In closing, here’s a table of the best database design books we looked at today:
Last update: 2024-05-01
Depending on a number of factors, database design can either be simple or complicated. One such factor that can make the process of learning database design simpler is the availability of materials. A quick stroll in a bookstore will reveal to you that there are tons of books on this subject, but not all are recommended.
Getting the best data design books for your needs would require a more in-depth search. To help make the process easier, we’ve reviewed some of the best books known to improve your knowledge of database design. We’ve also ensured that most of the books reviewed in this article would suit academic and non-academic purposes. Notwithstanding, you can still do your own research to arrive at the best book for your need, using our buying guide.
Not ready to go through all the stress of searching? You can pick our favorite database design book, Beginning Database Design Solutions, for its attempt to bridge the existing gap between learning the basics of database design and the actual practice. Our runner-up, Database Design and Relational Theory, tries to introduce the concept of database design in a manner that people can relate to, irrespective of level of expertise.
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