NORMAL FORMS ← Lesson 1: Slots in a Document 1NF — each value is atomic Violation Converted to 1NF items item_id name slots 1 Blade of Dawn "main_hand, off_hand" 2 Dawn Shield "off_hand" item_slots item_id slot 1 main_hand 1 off_hand 2 off_hand Why Is This Important? • There is no foreign key on the reference table: a CHECK constraint based on the pattern will verify the value but will not create a relationship • You cannot declare a pair (item, slot) as unique; the database will allow duplicates in the list • A relationship cannot have its own attributes: there’s nowhere to store “the slot unlocks at level 10” • Adding a slot means overwriting the entire value, not inserting a single row