Can you explain what is meant by denormalization in the context of SQL databases?

Denormalization in the context of SQL databases is the process of intentionally introducing data redundancy by merging related tables or adding repeating data. The goal of denormalization is to improve query performance by reducing the number of joins between tables.

For example, instead of storing information about orders and customers in separate tables linked by a key, you can add customer data fields (name, address) to the orders table to avoid performing a join during data retrieval.

Advantages of denormalization:

• Faster data reading, especially for complex queries.
• Simplification of the structure for certain types of applications.

Disadvantages:

• Increased data volume.
• Risk of data inconsistency during updates (requires careful maintenance of integrity).

Thus, denormalization is a compromise between normalization (minimizing redundancy) and performance.