explanation/normalization.md is workflow-only (~260 lines). The book's normalization chapter (30-design/055-normalization.ipynb) is much richer; several core ideas are missing from the docs:
- The three normalization lenses (Codd mathematical / Chen entity / DataJoint workflow) and their convergence on the same schema.
- A classical 1NF / 2NF / 3NF baseline + functional dependencies — without it, the repeated "workflow normalization is stricter than 3NF" claim has no referent.
- The Entity Normalization Principle — attributes describe the entity directly, completely, non-optionally — including relationship-sets-as-entities. (Docs currently substitute a narrower "Intrinsic Attributes Principle.")
- The e-commerce Order example — a table that passes 3NF and entity normalization yet fails workflow normalization (NULLs + UPDATEs). The clearest, domain-neutral motivator; docs use only mouse/cage.
- The UPDATE-as-design-smell heuristic ("can this be pure INSERT + DELETE?") in the explanation tier (currently only in a reference spec).
- The tidy-data mapping (Wickham → 1NF + entity normalization).
Proposal: expand normalization.md into the three-lens structure; keep the existing (strong) mouse/cage example as the DataJoint worked example.
From an internal datajoint-book → docs coverage review (priority P3).
explanation/normalization.mdis workflow-only (~260 lines). The book's normalization chapter (30-design/055-normalization.ipynb) is much richer; several core ideas are missing from the docs:Proposal: expand
normalization.mdinto the three-lens structure; keep the existing (strong) mouse/cage example as the DataJoint worked example.From an internal datajoint-book → docs coverage review (priority P3).