Final answer:
The first normal form (1NF) involves eliminating duplicate columns, creating separate tables for related data with unique primary keys, ensuring all columns are atomic with no repeating groups, and that all values in a column are of the same data type.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tasks in the First Normal Form (1NF)
The first normal form (1NF) stage of normalization involves a series of tasks aimed at structuring a database to reduce redundancy and improve data integrity. The main tasks in the 1NF stage include:
- Eliminating duplicate columns from the same table.
- Creating separate tables for each group of related data and identifying each row with a unique column (the primary key).
- Ensuring that all columns in a table are atomic; which means that each field holds only a single value of a specific type and no repeating groups or arrays are present.
- Ensuring the values in each column of a table are of the same data type.
By performing these tasks, databases can achieve the first level of normalization, or 1NF, which is a critical step in designing a robust and efficient database system. Each of these tasks is designed to organize data into tables where each column has a unique name, and all entries in a column are of the same data type.