"a table is a bucket into which data is poured."

The Bucket Metaphor

Imagine each table in a database as a physical bucket.

• You pour data (records/rows) into this bucket.

• Everything inside that specific bucket should belong together for a single, clear reason.

• If you start pouring unrelated items into the same bucket (e.g., apples, shoes, and paperwork), it becomes a messy, confusing pile.

In database terms, the "bucket" (table) must hold data that is directly associated with a single subject or entity

"Data in a specific table is directly associated with all other items in that same table."

The Core Principle: Direct Association

This means that every row in a table represents one instance of that table's subject, and every column in that row describes that specific instance.