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A primary key is the identifier in a table. It cannot contain values that are null, and it has to be unique for every record. For example, a driver's license number could be a primary key in a relational database table. Every driver is assigned to one unique identifier, or driver's license number, and no two driver's license numbers are identical.
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Difference between composite and primary key?
There are two types of keys in any database; composite and primary keys. Composite key differs from primary key in that it contains more than one column while primary key is composed of only one field and cannot have a null value.
What is Relationship between a primary and a foreign key?
A primary key is one or more colums in a table whose values would uniquely identify a row in that table. A foreign key is a one or more columns in one table that are used to reference rows in another table. In a properly designed 3NF schema, the foreign key columns should correspond to the primary key columns of the table being referenced.
Is a foreign key field always on the one side of a one-to-many relationship between two tables?
No. The foreign key is always on the many side. A foreign key is a field that is a primary key in another table, not in the table it is in. It can therefore be repeated in the table it is, so it can act as the many side. In its own table, it is the primary key, and only appears once.
Diffentiate between full and partial dependency?
Full Dependency:Given a relation R and functional dependency x->y (y is fully functionally dependent on x)there is no any z->y ,where Z is a proper subset of xPartial Dependency:If any proper subset of the key determine any of the non-key attributes then there exist a partial dependency p q->c d (p q is the primary key)p->cq->cp->dq->d
What are the difference between superkey and candidate key?
A superkey is defined as a set of attributes of a relation for which it holds that in all relations assigned to that variable there are no two distinct tuples (rows) that have the same values for the attributes in this set. As an example Code: Roll Number | First Name | Last Name CSU0001 | Shabbir | Bhimani | CSU0002 | SomeName | SurName | CSU0003 | Larry | page | Now here we have the following as super keys 1. Roll Number | First Name 2. Roll Number | First Name | Last Name Now in plain language Any Unique key with some Non Unique key combination is called a super key of the relationship. A candidate key of a relationship is a set of attributes of that relationship such that there are no two distinct tuples with the same values for these attributes. In simple example candidate key is a minimal superkey, i.e. a superkey of which no proper subset is also a superkey. Since a relation is a set(no duplicate elements), it holds that every relation will have at least one candidate key (because the entire heading is always a superkey). For practical reasons RDBMSs usually require that for each relation one of its candidate keys is declared as the primary key Quote: For example, Given an employee table consisting of the columns: employeeID name job and departmentID we could use the employeeID in combination with any or all other columns of this table to uniquely identify a row in the table. Examples of superkeys in this table would be {employeeID, Name}, {employeeID, Name, job}, and {employeeID, Name, job, departmentID}. In a real database we don't need values for all of those columns to identify a row. We only need, per our example, the set {employeeID}. This is a minimal superkey - that is, a minimal set of columns that can be used to identify a single row. So, employeeID is a candidate key. Now, if employeeID is a candidate key then why not it is the superkey. Because employeeID can also uniquely identify the tuples. (2) In your example why Roll number is not the superkey as it is uniquely identifying the tuples? (3) Quote: Any Unique key with some Non Unique key combination is called a super key of the relationship Is it necessary that Unique key has to be combined with some Non Unique key to be called as a super key. Unique key is also a super key but the minimal super key is called candidate key and all candidate keys are super keys but the reverse is not true.
Why do you designate one of the candidate key of relation to be the primary key?
We designate one of the candidate key of a relation to be a primary key because that primary key is use for any foreign key references.
What are the requirements for a relation to be in Second Normal Form?
A relation is in second normal form (2NF) if any of the following conditions apply: The primary key consists of only one attribute No non-primary key attribute exists in the relation Every non-primary key attribute is functionally dependent on the full set of primary key attributes
What are the functions of a primary key?
It is a contraint(checks) provided by DBMS. if we want to make a coumn unique and not null then the column is defined as primary key. it is used to create relations among the tables. For any further detail, please visit the following links:http://www.iyogibusiness.com
What is difference between primary key and foreign key?
A primary key is an attribute (or combination of attributes) that uniquely identifies each row in a relation. A primary key is designated by underlining the attribute name. The primary key of an entity set allows us to distinguish among the various entities of the set. A foreign key is an attribute in a relation of database that serves as the primary key of another relation in the same database.
What is candidate key in dbms?
more than one primary key to identify the record uniquely is called candidate key.
Entity integrity constraint?
The entity integrity constraint states that no primary key value can be null. This is because the primary key value is used to identify individual tuples in a relation. Having null value for the primary key implies that we cannot identify some tuples. This also specifies that there may not be any duplicate entries in primary key column key row.
Explain two rules in relational model of database systems?
1) Entity Integrity: In a base relation, no attribute of a primary key can be null. 2) Referential Integrity: If foreign key exists in a relation, either foreign key value must match a candidate key value of some tuple in its home relation or foreign key value must be wholly null
Which field MS Access will not allow you to delete?
A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.A primary key field.
What is the difference between Primarey key and Forn Key?
establishing a relation between two tables called fornkey.......the colum name should be unique is called "primary key"...a table contain only one primary key...a table contain more then one fornkey....
All types of keys in database?
* Alternate key - An alternate key is any candidate key which is not selected to be the primary key * Candidate key - A candidate key is a field or combination of fields that can act as a primary key field for that table to uniquely identify each record in that table. * Compound key - compound key (also called a composite key or concatenated key) is a key that consists of 2 or more attributes. * Primary key - a primary key is a value that can be used to identify a unique row in a table. Attributes are associated with it. Examples of primary keys are Social Security numbers (associated to a specific person) or ISBNs (associated to a specific book). In the relational model of data, a primary key is a candidate key chosen as the main method of uniquely identifying a tuple in a relation. * Superkey - A superkey is defined in the relational model as a set of attributes of a relation variable (relvar) for which it holds that in all relations assigned to that variable there are no two distinct tuples (rows) that have the same values for the attributes in this set. Equivalently a superkey can also be defined as a set of attributes of a relvar upon which all attributes of the relvar are functionally dependent. * Foreign key - a foreign key (FK) is a field or group of fields in a database record that points to a key field or group of fields forming a key of another database record in some (usually different) table. Usually a foreign key in one table refers to the primary key (PK) of another table. This way references can be made to link information together and it is an essential part of database normalization
What rule states that either each foreign key value must match a primary key value in another relation or the foreign key value must be null?
referential integrity constraint
What is the difference between primary key and secondary key?
There is two difference between them. 1. The not null constraint is by default added to primary key, it means, primary key attribute cannot accept null values, whereas, the attribute declared as unique can accept null values. It is the major difference between the two. 2. Secondly, we can have only one primary key in a relation, whereas, multiple attributes can be declared unique at the same time.
