The great primary-key debate

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I have to agree + (part 3)

I feel that anyone who uses this article as a basis for database design decisions, or as a "justification" for why to make a decision will be doing themselves and those they share it with a great disservice. While it does re-open a LONG running debate, it does not do so well, nor provide much of real use.

If you want to go back to the best definition of what a primary key is and how it is used, please go back to basic Cod (and yes, I'm gonna use one of the OLDEST bad dbms programmer puns here):
"When creating a primary key, remember that everything in the table must relate to the key, the whole key, and nothing BUT the key, so help me Cod!" And that is STILL the best summarization of normalization and definition of primary keys that I know!

...John Harden
INSTEC

Posted: 04/30/2002 @ 03:21 AM (PDT)

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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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