This sounds familiar - strictly speaking, 3rd normal form databases are typically sufficiently normalised for everyday use. I do not remember all the terminology (dependencies, etc), but 4th/5th/Boyce-Codd (spelling?) normal form would lead to an entity/table design not unlike the one you are describing - each tuple/record can only be described uniquely by the combination of 1 or more fields and no other way.
This theory is something we learnt at university, and imo, for 99% of cases in the real world, the theory should be left there. The co-worker is designing a fully normalised database table, but this does not mean it is programmer / web / etc friendly. It is quite possible a throw-back to AS400 / IBM development mentality where things are done "the right way". The AS400 hardware is a case in point, they are as old as the hills and still going strong. I have no experience in AS400 development so this is pure conjecture. Neither of you are "wrong" per se. You have an opportunity to learn elite db design and configuration. In return you can teach your AS400 co-worker about web development and some nifty short-cuts (identity/sequences) that may make his life at work a little easier. Just some thoughts. HTH Aaron ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dawson, Michael" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 1:01 AM 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:4:183723 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=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
