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Chapter 5 Database Key

The document discusses various types of database keys essential for uniquely identifying records in relational databases, including primary keys, candidate keys, super keys, foreign keys, alternate keys, composite keys, and artificial keys. Each key type serves a specific purpose in establishing relationships between tables and ensuring data integrity. The chapter emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate keys for effective database management.

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10 views

Chapter 5 Database Key

The document discusses various types of database keys essential for uniquely identifying records in relational databases, including primary keys, candidate keys, super keys, foreign keys, alternate keys, composite keys, and artificial keys. Each key type serves a specific purpose in establishing relationships between tables and ensuring data integrity. The chapter emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate keys for effective database management.

Uploaded by

lutfullah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Faculty Of Computer Science

Database Concept

Lecturer: Lutfullah Haqnesar


Chapter Five

Database Keys
Agenda
Database Keys
Primary key
Candidate key
Super key
Foreign key
Alternate key
Composite key
Artificial key
Keys
• Keys play an important role in the relational database.
• It is used to uniquely identify any record or row of data from the table.
• It is also used to establish and identify relationships between tables.
• For example, ID is used as a key in the Student table because it is
unique for each student.
Types of keys
1. Primary key

• It is the first key used to identify only one instance of an entity uniquely.

• The key which is most suitable from the lists becomes a primary key.

• In the EMPLOYEE table, ID can be the primary key since it is unique for
each employee.

• In the EMPLOYEE table, we can even select License_Number and


Passport_Number as primary keys since they are also unique.
Primary Key
2. Candidate Key

• A candidate key is an attribute or set of attributes that can uniquely


identify a tuple.

• Except for the primary key, the remaining attributes are considered a
candidate key. The candidate keys are as strong as the primary key.

• For example: In the EMPLOYEE table, id is best suited for the primary
key. The rest of the attributes, like Passport_Number, License_Number,
etc., are considered a candidate key.
Candidate Key
3. Super key

• Super key is an attribute set that can uniquely identify a tuple. A super
key is a superset of a candidate key.

• For example: In the above EMPLOYEE table, for(EMPLOEE_ID,


EMPLOYEE_NAME), the name of two employees can be the same, but
their EMPLYEE_ID can't be the same. Hence, this combination can also
be a key.
Super Keys
4. Foreign Keys
• Foreign keys are the column of the table used to point to the primary
key of another table.
• Every employee works in a specific department in a company, and
employee and department are two different entities.
• So we link these two tables through the primary key of one table.
• We add the primary key of the DEPARTMENT table, Department_Id,
as a new attribute in the EMPLOYEE table.
Foreign Keys
5. Alternate Keys
• One or more attributes or a combination of attributes that uniquely
identify each tuple in a relation are called the candidate keys.
• One key is chosen as the primary key from these candidate keys, and the
remaining is termed the alternate key.
• The total number of the alternate keys is the total number of candidate
keys minus the primary key.
• If there is only one candidate key in a relation, it does not have an
alternate key.
Alternate Keys
6. Composite Keys
• Whenever a primary key consists of more than one attribute, it is
known as a composite key. This key is also known as Concatenated Key.
• For example, in employee relations, we assume that the primary key
will be composed of all three attributes, namely Emp_ID, Emp_role,
and Proj_ID in combination.
• So these attributes act as a composite key since the primary key
comprises more than one attribute.
Composite Key
7. Artificial Key

• The key created using arbitrarily assigned data are known as artificial
keys. These keys are created when a primary key is large and complex and
has no relationship with many other relations. The data values of the
artificial keys are usually numbered in a serial order.

• For example, the primary key, which is composed of Emp_ID, Emp_role,


and Proj_ID, is large in employee relations. So it would be better to add a
new virtual attribute to identify each tuple in the relation uniquely.
Keys
END OF CHAPTER

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