What is Normalization?
Normalization in a database is the process of organizing the data to reduce redundancy. The main idea is to segment a larger table into smaller ones and connect them through a relation.
But why should an end-user like you or me be concerned about Data Normalization?
Proper String Normalization for Comparison Purposes
TL;DR
In Java, do:
xxxxxxxxxx
String normalizedString = Normalizer.normalize(originalString,Normalizer.Form.NFKD)
.replaceAll("[^\\p{ASCII}]", "").toLowerCase().replaceAll("\\s{2,}", " ").trim();
Nowadays, most strings are Unicode-encoded and we are able to work with many different native characters with diacritical signs/accents (like ö, é, À) or ligatures (like æ or ʥ). Characters can be stored in UTF-8 (for instance) and associated glyphs can be displayed properly if the font supports them.
The Normalization Spectrum
Most databases (old and new) recommend, and in some cases force, an application to model its data in either a fully normalized or fully denormalized model. However, as we will see, matching the complexity of enterprise applications with modern-day data requirements cannot be achieved by only either end of that spectrum.
You may also like: Pros and Cons of Database Normalization
Normalized Data Model
Normalization is defined as the process of reducing or eliminating redundancy across a dataset.