Explain the terms primary key, candidate key, alternate key, Database Management System

Assignment Help:

Explain the terms primary key, candidate key, alternate key and secondary key. In the given table identify every key?

STUDENT(SID,Regno, Name, City)

Primary Key: The primary key of a relational table uniquely identify every record in the table. It can either be a general attribute (or set of attributes) which is guaranteed to be unique (such as Social Security Number in a table along with no more than one record per person) or it could be provided through the DBMS (such as a globally unique identifier, or GUID, in Microsoft SQL Server).

Candidate Key: A candidate key is a combination of attributes in which can be uniquely used to recognize a database record without any extraneous data. Each table may have one or more candidate keys. One of these candidate keys is chosen as the table primary key.

Alternate Key: An alternate key (or secondary key) is any candidate key that is not selected to be the primary key (PK).

For instance, a relational database along with a table "employee" could have attributes like

"employee_id", "bank_acct_no", and so on. In this case, both "employee_id" and
"bank_acct_no" serve as unique identifiers for a given employee, and could therefore arguably be used for a primary key. Therefore, both of them are known as "candidate keys". If, for example, "bank_acct_no" was chosen as the primary key, "employee_id" would become the alternate key

Secondary Key: Same as above

In above table SID is a primary key, SID and Regno are candidate keys and SIDor Regno are alternate or secondary key.


Related Discussions:- Explain the terms primary key, candidate key, alternate key

By the relations get details of employees working in sql, Consider the rela...

Consider the relations: PROJECT(proj#,proj_name,chief_architect) EMPLOYEE(emp#,emp_name) ASSIGNED(proj#,emp#) Use relational algebra to express the subsequent queries: (i) Get

Shadow paging, Describe the shadow paging technique.

Describe the shadow paging technique.

What is an e-r model and draw an e-r diagram for the company, What is an E-...

What is an E-R model? Draw an E-R Diagram for the company database with following Descriptions? The company is organized within departments. Each department has a unique name a

Convert the erd into its relevant relational schema, Question: Describe...

Question: Describe briefly the three parts of the Relational Model. (a) The term integrity refers to the accuracy or correctness of the data in the database. Define the fol

What is foreign key, What is foreign key? A relation schema r1 derived ...

What is foreign key? A relation schema r1 derived from an ER schema may contain among its attributes the primary key of another relation schema r2.this attribute is known as a

Explain traditional programming languages, How persistent programming langu...

How persistent programming languages differ from traditional programming languages? Database languages vary from traditional programming languages in that they directly manipul

Define physical and logical data independence, Define physical and logical ...

Define physical and logical data independence. How does this architecture help in achieving these? Data independence entails that change in one view must not need a change in t

Define null values, Define null values. In some cases a certain entity ...

Define null values. In some cases a certain entity may not have an applicable value for an attribute or if we do not know the value of an attribute for a certain entity. In the

Explain controlled redundancy, Explain controlled redundancy? Controll...

Explain controlled redundancy? Controlled redundancy : The replication of data within the data warehouse for the purposes of improved data access or understand ability.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd