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SQL Foreign Key

A foreign key is a column or set of columns that establishes a link between two tables by matching values to a primary key in another table. The document provides examples of creating tables with foreign keys, specifically illustrating the relationship between a CUSTOMERS table and an ORDERS table. It also includes SQL commands for adding and dropping foreign key constraints.

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9 views1 page

SQL Foreign Key

A foreign key is a column or set of columns that establishes a link between two tables by matching values to a primary key in another table. The document provides examples of creating tables with foreign keys, specifically illustrating the relationship between a CUSTOMERS table and an ORDERS table. It also includes SQL commands for adding and dropping foreign key constraints.

Uploaded by

itxjack100
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© © All Rights Reserved
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SQL - FOREIGN KEY

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/sql/sql-foreign-key.htm Copyright © tutorialspoint.com

A foreign key is a key used to link two tables together. This is sometimes called a referencing key.

Foreign Key is a column or a combination of columns whose values match a Primary Key in a
different table.

The relationship between 2 tables matches the Primary Key in one of the tables with a
Foreign Key in the second table.

If a table has a primary key defined on any fields, then you can not have two records having the
same value of that fields.

Example:
Consider the structure of the two tables as follows:

CUSTOMERS table:

CREATE TABLE CUSTOMERS(


ID INT NOT NULL,
NAME VARCHAR (20) NOT NULL,
AGE INT NOT NULL,
ADDRESS CHAR (25) ,
SALARY DECIMAL (18, 2),
PRIMARY KEY (ID)
);

ORDERS table:

CREATE TABLE ORDERS (


ID INT NOT NULL,
DATE DATETIME,
CUSTOMER_ID INT references CUSTOMERS(ID),
AMOUNT double,
PRIMARY KEY (ID)
);

If ORDERS table has already been created, and the foreign key has not yet been set, use the
syntax for specifying a foreign key by altering a table.

ALTER TABLE ORDERS


ADD FOREIGN KEY (Customer_ID) REFERENCES CUSTOMERS (ID);

DROP a FOREIGN KEY Constraint:


To drop a FOREIGN KEY constraint, use the following SQL:

ALTER TABLE ORDERS


DROP FOREIGN KEY;
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