RE: FK Constraints

I'll have to disagree with this. I've seen to many programs break when the constraints were enabled.

Developers generally don't have a clue how to maintain integrity in the application data. This is not to impugn all developers, just about 90% of them.

The database knows how to enforce integrity, developers don't.

As a DBA I insist on RI in the database.

When there is no RI in the database, DBA's are constantly being called for 'database problems' when the problem is actually in the data, which is not our responsibility.

The DBA spends much time proving the source of the problem since the developer is unable to.

More fodder for duhveloper.com.

Jared

On Mon, 19 Mar 2001, Holman, Rodney wrote:

> You are running into a primary point of contention between many DBA's and
> developers. Dev's don't like the use of PK/FK relationships within the
> database because it is not always portable across multiple RDBMS's. By
> making the app handle all the referential integrity issues they can say
> "Yes, our system runs on Oracle, Sybase, Informix, MS SQL Server, or even
> Access ...." All they need the RDBMS to do is store tables and indexes then.
> Many third party apps use this approach. The problem is when their code is
> correct and perfect, they are right. You don't NEED FK's. However I have
> yet to run across any super human developer that codes everything perfectly.
> What happens... you get duplicate key values and child tables filled with
> orphans because somewhere in the code a restriction was missed. By
> assigning these at the DB level you can forget about having to maintain it
> in the app. The RDBMS does it for you. Push for RDBMS level control of
> this. It will save you many headaches later over data corruption.
>
> Rodd Holman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 12:05 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
>
>
> Hi all:
>
> We have a situation where are no relationships are
> defined at the database level. i.e no foreign keys
> constraints have established at the Database. The
> application is still at the Development Stage.
>
> Everything is controlled at the application level.
>
> I as the DBA appose this design for Data security and
> also cannot reverse engineer from the tables into
> Designer.
>
> Can you please share you pros / Cons.
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
>
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