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A primary key is a column which uniquely identifies the records in a table. In a broad sense, a primary key is the mixture of a unique key and an index: A column with a primary key is indexed to deliver a faster query, and doesn't allow duplicate values to ensure specific data. Most programmers recommend all tables having a primary key (and only one) to enhance the speed of queries and overall database performance. An example of a primary key may be found in a table named "departments," which might have a column named "department_number" that uniquely identifies each department in the table with a number.

A foreign key is a column (the child column ) in a table which has a corresponding relationship and a dependency on another column (the parent column ) that is usually in a different table. Parent columns can have multiple child columns, but a child column can only have one parent column. The child column is the column with the foreign key; the parent column does not have the foreign key "set" on it, but most databases require the parent column to be indexed. Foreign keys are made to link data across multiple tables. A child column cannot have a record that its parent column does not have. Say a table named "employees" has 20 employees (rows) in it. There are 4 departments in the "departments" table. All 20 employees must belong to a department, so a column in the "employees" table named "department" would point to the primary key in the "departments" table using a foreign key. Now all employees must belong to a department as specified by the "departments" table. If a department isn't specified in the "departments" table, the employee cannot be assigned to it.

A candidate key would be any key which could be used as the primary key, which means that the combination of the columns, or just the single column would create a unique key. You would then need to determine which of these candidate keys would work best as your primary key.

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Candidate key and primary key differnece?

All Primary keys are definitely Candidate Keys. A Candidate key is one which can be used as a Primary key that is not null and unique. That is one of the candidate keys can be chosen as a primary key.A Candidate key is a Unique Key and it can be used to find out any particular Tuple (row) in a table. The following are the differences between A Candidate key and a Primary Key: 1) A Unique key can be null but not a Primary key 2) On a table we can have only 1 primary key but 'N' number of unique keys.


What is the difference between candidate key and primary key with example?

Any group of keys or columns (may be one or more than one) which can be used to uniquely refer to any row is together called as candidate key.A primary key only one column name which can be used to uniquely refer any row.there is no much difference b/w these two except the number of columns in consideration.


What are the basic components of a database?

Tables, Entities, Attributes, Primary Keys, and Foreign Keys


What is the primary object in a database and why?

The primary object in a database is the table, which organizes data into rows and columns. Each table typically represents a specific entity, such as customers or products, allowing for structured storage and easy retrieval of related information. Tables facilitate relationships between different entities through primary and foreign keys, enabling complex queries and data integrity. This structure is essential for efficient data management and analysis in relational databases.


What is the difference between primary colors and additive colors?

#1 primary colors make additive colors

Related Questions

What are the differences between super key primary key candidate key and foreign key?

Super key: A set of attributes that uniquely identifies a tuple in a table. Primary key: A specific super key chosen to uniquely identify each tuple in a table and must be unique and not null. Candidate key: Any super key that could be chosen as the primary key. Foreign key: A field in a table that is a primary key in another table, used to establish a relationship between the two tables.


Candidate key and primary key differnece?

All Primary keys are definitely Candidate Keys. A Candidate key is one which can be used as a Primary key that is not null and unique. That is one of the candidate keys can be chosen as a primary key.A Candidate key is a Unique Key and it can be used to find out any particular Tuple (row) in a table. The following are the differences between A Candidate key and a Primary Key: 1) A Unique key can be null but not a Primary key 2) On a table we can have only 1 primary key but 'N' number of unique keys.


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 the differences between primary key and foreign key?

A primary key is a special case of unique keys which doesnt accept duplicates. The difference between unique keys is that "NOT NULL" constraint is not automatically enforced, while for primary keys it is mandatoryUnique keys and primary keys can be referenced by foreign keys


How do foreign keys ofrelations relate to candidate keys?

Foreign keys and candidate keys serve distinct roles in relational databases. A candidate key is a set of one or more attributes that can uniquely identify a tuple within a relation, while a foreign key is an attribute or a set of attributes in one relation that refers to the primary key of another relation. Foreign keys establish relationships between tables, ensuring referential integrity, whereas candidate keys ensure that each row within a table can be uniquely identified. Thus, while foreign keys link tables, candidate keys define uniqueness within a table.


What is the difference between primary key and candidate key?

Candidate Key is used to uniquely identify the records of a table. An attribute becomes a Primary Key, if all the other candidate keys lose race for being qualified as Primary Key.


What is difference between primary candidate and candidate key?

don't ask me I'm trying to find out to but i think it has something to do with the government


How much types of keys are available in dbms?

There are five types of keys in database management system . The name of the five keys are as follows .:1) surrogate key -which is the system generated primary key .2) Primary key - same function as surrogate key but user defined.3) candidate key -combination of two more keys.4) alternate keys - alternative for candidate keys.5) foreign key - primary key of another table.There are five types of keys in database management system.These five keys are surrogate, primary, candidate, alternate, foreign keys .


Differences between Primary and selective Demand?

different from channel


What are the key differences between a caucus and a primary in the context of the electoral process?

In the electoral process, a caucus is a meeting where voters openly show support for a candidate, while a primary is a state-run election where voters cast secret ballots for their preferred candidate. Caucuses tend to involve more discussion and debate among voters, while primaries are more straightforward and similar to general elections.


In Georgia when no candidate gets a majority of the vote in a Primary Election?

In Georgia, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes in a primary election, a runoff election is held between the top two candidates. This runoff occurs a few weeks after the primary, allowing voters to choose between the leading candidates. The process ensures that the candidate who ultimately wins the nomination has broad support from the party's electorate.


What is the difference between a primary key and a foreign key?

A primary key uniquely identifies each record in a table and ensures data integrity. A foreign key establishes a relationship between two tables, referencing the primary key of another table to enforce referential integrity.