Since I have a little experience with older (as in early 90s) AS400 and Business Basic development, I can attest to the fact that the tables are done differently. I have had to use an employee table that required a primary key based upon 3 fields out of nine. I defined a new primary key for my relational work.
Older (see above) AS400 and RPG developers do not make good relational database designers in general. The relational model sometimes just is beyond their comprehension. Remind this developer that a web application has less horsepower than a comparable AS400 application. Because of that the database needs a single field primary key. Russel Madere Webmaster 504.832.9835 SunShine Pages by EATEL www.sunshinepages.com -----Original Message----- From: Dawson, Michael [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 8:01 AM To: CF-Talk Subject: Primary Key Justification I'm well aware of the need for a primary key, in addition to a sound table design, however, I'd like someone else to "word" a response for me. A co-worker built a data file (a data table on an AS400) with six fields. The only unique "key" of the record is the entire record, itself. The combination of all six fields must be used to identify the exact record. "This is how it's done," is the reply I get. (I've been building web-based apps using relational DBs for 8 years. I have never used an entire record as the primary key.) I'm not passing an entire record through a URL or in hidden form fields. Imagine the nightmare of maintaining this application... A discussion of the existence of Oracle's sequences and SQL's identity fields did little to sway this person's opinion. This person's entire development background is AS400 with a history of bad database design. Now, I'm creating the table myself to do it right. ;-) Any thoughts? Thanks M!ke ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:183717 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
