Database Normalization for Beginners | How to Normalize Data w/ Power Query (full tutorial!)

[@omondif9]

Thanks Chris, i love the way you always breakdown the concepts into simple bitable bits.

[@eniolaadekoya5623]

Great lesson i will like to this on microsoft fabric over the weekend

[@sambameissa]

Thank you, really love how clear you guys explain concepts. keep up the good work.

[@Chris-at-Maven]

Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@KumarSrinivasAvvaru]

Great work, thanks for sharing

[@SothearithKONGMrMuyKhmer]

Thank you so much! That’s really helpful! 🥰

[@Chris-at-Maven]

Glad to hear it!

[@SothearithKONGMrMuyKhmer]

@@Chris-at-Maven Thank you! 🙏

[@awesh1986]

Loved the video. Too good.

[@NitinKunigal]

Hey Chris, I really liked the way you explained the concept of Normalization! However, I need some clarification. According to my understanding, I think it's always better to rather reference a query than duplicate a query for creating dim tables. Here's the logic: reference query establishes parent-child dependency with the master query (transaction table). Whenever there's an update made to the transaction table i.e., a new customer being added or something else, the child query (used for dim tables) also gets updated accordingly. On the other hand, duplicate query is independent and doesn't have any relationship with the master query (transaction table). Please share your insights! Cheers!

[@txreal2]

Makes sense. Thanks 👍

[@benosborne413]

Great lesson. What if I want to update the info on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?

[@Chris-at-Maven]

In this case we're working with a local CSV file for simplicity, but it reality you'd likely have a database connection that would pull in new information when the query is refreshed. If you don't have a DB, you could also connect to shared locations like SharePoint or OneDrive, or point to a local folder where you can add new files and automatically append them via Power Query.

[@benosborne413]

@@Chris-at-Maven Do you a full video on Power Query?

[@sunnygawande5283]

So if I do calculations on denormalized data then will it give an error??

[@Chris-at-Maven]

No, it's not that there's anything WRONG about denormalized tables, it's just that they contain more information than you technically need. Normalization is essentially just about reorganizing your data to minimize redundancy.

[@NirRobinson]

Why do you prefer duplicate vs reference?

[@Chris-at-Maven]

I'm not sure I'm following... At the end of the video I mention that data analysts often prefer star schemas because they are better suited for exploratory analysis, even though there may be some redundancy in the tables.

[@KeoniPKim]

So when you get a new "Transactions File" would you just refresh the data?

[@potatocraftd6629]

Yes

[@Chris-at-Maven]

It depends. In this case we're working with a local CSV file for simplicity, but it reality you'd likely have a database connection that would pull in new information when the query is refreshed. If you don't have a DB, you could also connect to shared locations like SharePoint or OneDrive, or point to a local folder where you can add new files and automatically append them via Power Query. If the file name and path didn't change, then yes you could update the source file and refresh the query to see the new data.

[@mrbartuss1]

Why are all examples on this channel so simple and in real world it is all messed up...

[@Chris-at-Maven]

Fair point! The intention here is to help people build a really clear intuition for what data normalization means, and how to apply normalization techniques to create star and snowflake schemas. In later demos we'll start layering in more complexity and messier datasets, but that would be counterproductive unless you'll built that foundational understanding first.

[@mrbartuss1]

@@Chris-at-Maven I totally agree. However, you’ve already made plenty of videos for total beginners. More complex content would be really appreciated

[@vishalmane3139]

half information

[@Chris-at-Maven]

🤔