The great primary-key debate

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Natural primary keys

I have had designers/developers that I worked with or managed argue for natural primary keys.

The primary (:)) justifications cited were that they are "recognizable", as opposed to "just a number" (unless the PK is a type such as datetime, wherethe concept of "natural vs. surrogate" becomes a little gray, anyway) and that a surrogate key represents "a waste of space" in the database in those cases where a natural PK will suffice, i.e. - why add an additional column when the columns holding"real data" will suffice?

Excellent article.

Posted: 03/26/2002 @ 07:58 PM (PST)

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Read original item: The great primary-key debate

Great debate?Lyndal | 03/22/2002 @ 03:01 AM (PST)

Greate Read, Nothing Beginner about ittandel | 03/23/2002 @ 01:09 AM (PST)

Greate Read, Nothing Beginner about ittandel | 03/23/2002 @ 01:14 AM (PST)

sequential?bob@... | 03/25/2002 @ 12:09 AM (PST)

Natural primary keysjwallison | 03/26/2002 @ 07:58 PM (PST)

I've had this argument many a time with seasone...travis@... | 03/27/2002 @ 12:23 AM (PST)

Access/Jet Can Make "Mistakes"mattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:12 AM (PST)

use of surrogate keyerik.bronckaers@... | 10/10/2002 @ 08:32 PM (PDT)

You've been luckynyc_guru_sorta | 04/12/2002 @ 12:06 PM (PDT)

Surrogate PKs and Composite PKsbuilder@... | 03/26/2002 @ 12:47 AM (PST)

This is where you'd relate the tablestravis@... | 03/27/2002 @ 12:20 AM (PST)

Line item table keysrick@... | 03/28/2002 @ 12:04 AM (PST)

Child Table PKsmattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:39 AM (PST)

ProdID based on current business ruleswmillett@... | 04/08/2002 @ 01:44 AM (PDT)

Bad Idea for Line ItemsM. Shawn Dillon | 07/03/2002 @ 12:20 PM (PDT)

Opinion on builder's PK questionKeeBored | 10/09/2002 @ 11:12 PM (PDT)

Duplicate recordsrick@... | 03/27/2002 @ 06:17 AM (PST)

Duplicate Recordsbcbeatty | 03/28/2002 @ 11:32 PM (PST)

Unique Clauseaaron_myers | 10/09/2002 @ 11:00 PM (PDT)

Two of the major factors in deciding on a natur...JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 01:28 PM (PST)

one problemThomasAnderson | 03/27/2002 @ 08:26 AM (PST)

Reading for comprehension...AdminSparky | 03/28/2002 @ 10:37 PM (PST)

Solutionharkins@... | 04/02/2002 @ 11:45 AM (PST)

More Solutionmattohare@... | 04/03/2002 @ 02:49 AM (PST)

Surrogates are unnaturalhjweigel@... | 03/29/2002 @ 09:44 AM (PST)

My concernlnarendra@... | 04/01/2002 @ 03:56 AM (PST)

It's not a surrogate primary key if the the use...adolf s | 04/02/2002 @ 11:14 PM (PST)

Primary key is not seenrsalcedo | 04/02/2002 @ 11:38 PM (PST)

A word of caution re advocating that a surrogat...JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 01:59 PM (PST)

Social Security Numbers Not Uniquejeffdi@... | 04/03/2002 @ 11:36 PM (PST)

SSN Faux Follymattohare@... | 04/05/2002 @ 07:35 AM (PST)

1st Law of Security: Coincidences ain'tian_ison@... | 05/11/2003 @ 03:34 PM (PDT)

There's even moreK.I.S.S. | 06/26/2002 @ 07:15 AM (PDT)

Privacy and Data Protection Violationk_edwards | 07/23/2002 @ 08:49 PM (PDT)

The conclusion is just plain wrong!AgeTheGod | 04/04/2002 @ 06:24 AM (PST)

maybe...adolf s | 04/04/2002 @ 08:02 PM (PST)

I have to agree + (part 2)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:18 AM (PDT)

I have to agree + (part 1)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:20 AM (PDT)

I have to agree + (part 3)jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:21 AM (PDT)

Body of evidence...Tore | 10/10/2002 @ 01:17 AM (PDT)

So give some examples...Tore | 10/10/2002 @ 01:13 AM (PDT)

Re: The conclusion is just plain wrong!JimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 02:09 PM (PST)

Non Primary TablesLee Quinn | 04/04/2002 @ 11:51 PM (PST)

Flat Wronghwwang_2000@... | 04/05/2002 @ 03:35 AM (PST)

Read it againmwp.reid@... | 04/21/2002 @ 12:16 AM (PDT)

No surrogate keyTheGreatWall | 04/10/2002 @ 11:22 AM (PDT)

Builder.com irresponsiblerjplummer | 04/16/2002 @ 02:59 AM (PDT)

Rubbishmwp.reid@... | 04/21/2002 @ 12:14 AM (PDT)

Rubbish..NOTbyrmol@... | 04/21/2002 @ 05:55 PM (PDT)

Thats' one for the booksBunce | 06/16/2002 @ 07:38 PM (PDT)

Study this ...jharden@... | 04/30/2002 @ 03:43 AM (PDT)

Not set in stonepablopp@... | 12/18/2007 @ 10:39 PM (PST)

And the soap box is outdated at thatK.I.S.S. | 06/26/2002 @ 08:06 AM (PDT)

User Interface and PKntcse@... | 04/28/2004 @ 08:02 PM (PDT)

Real world example: Natural key badJasonVeniot | 06/25/2002 @ 10:43 PM (PDT)

My rules for keysJoe Celko | 07/10/2002 @ 03:43 AM (PDT)

An Exceptiondburr@... | 03/21/2008 @ 11:01 AM (PDT)

First, there is already a similar article at omen | 06/27/2002 @ 07:09 AM (PDT)

More things to consider...jgodse1@... | 07/28/2002 @ 01:30 AM (PDT)

Too dogmaticGilles1 | 07/23/2002 @ 06:47 AM (PDT)

Article is bang on.peter.kurth@... | 10/10/2002 @ 01:48 AM (PDT)

I've learned a great tipsugly@... | 11/06/2002 @ 08:54 PM (PST)

Who cares and why?cradford@... | 01/05/2003 @ 10:05 PM (PST)

Nothing But A Furphyjourneyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 11:25 AM (PST)

Ack!!!journeyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 11:57 AM (PST)

While I'm here though...journeyman2001@... | 01/14/2003 @ 12:04 PM (PST)

Usefule advice marred by serious misconceptionsJimGawn | 04/02/2004 @ 06:35 PM (PST)

Database Design and Surrogate Keysfrances.brickhill@... | 07/13/2004 @ 01:13 PM (PDT)

RE: The great primary-key debatedburr@... | 03/21/2008 @ 11:03 AM (PDT)

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