Relational Database Design Patterns?
Design patterns are usually related to object oriented design.
Are there design patterns for creating and programming relational databases?
Many problems surely must have reusable solutions.
Examples would include patterns for table design, stored procedures, triggers, etc...
Is there an online repository of such patterns, similar to martinfowler.com?
Examples of problems that patterns could solve:
- Storing hierarchical data (e.g. single table with type vs multiple tables with 1:1 key and differences...)
- Storing data with variable structure (e.g. generic columns vs xml vs delimited column...)
- Denormalize data (how to do it with minimal impact, etc...)
Answer
There's a book in Martin Fowler's Signature Series called Refactoring Databases. That provides a list of techniques for refactoring databases. I can't say I've heard a list of database patterns so much.
I would also highly recommend David C. Hay's Data Model Patterns and the follow up A Metadata Map which builds on the first and is far more ambitious and intriguing. The Preface alone is enlightening.
Also a great place to look for some pre-canned database models is Len Silverston's Data Model Resource Book Series Volume 1 contains universally applicable data models (employees, accounts, shipping, purchases, etc), Volume 2 contains industry specific data models (accounting, healthcare, etc), Volume 3 provides data model patterns.
Finally, while this book is ostensibly about UML and Object Modelling, Peter Coad's Modeling in Color With UML provides an "archetype" driven process of entity modeling starting from the premise that there are 4 core archetypes of any object/data model