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RE:Database Design Problem...

From: Vinay Joshi <vjoshi_at_pinnacle.co.uk>
Date: 1998/03/09
Message-ID: <717BDE76D864D011870F00A0C9283F1E1585A8@exchange.pinnacle.co.uk>#1/1

I think you should leave the design as it is. Have you thought of a book having the same title but revision 2 ? what are you gonna do in that case.
I think your design is fine as it is.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jimmy [SMTP:c6635500_at_comp.polyu.edu.hk]
> Posted At: 10 March 1998 02:08
> Posted To: server
> Conversation: Database Design Problem...
> Subject: Database Design Problem...
>
> Hello all,
>
> I have a databases design problem.
> Recently, I want to implement a table which stores information
> about
> books.
> So I decide to create the table BOOK with the following
> attributes:
>
> book_id number,
> book_name char(10),
> author char(30)...
>
> book_id is a primary key and is automatically generated by the
> system.
> (max + 1)
> Then another table, ORDER, which is used to store the
> inforamtion about
> the order. One of the attributes of this table is book_id, which is a
> foreign key and related with the book_id of the table BOOK.
> I think the design is OK.
> However, one day, a person ask me, "Why you put book_id in the
> table
> BOOK? book_name is unique all the time, why you create additional
> column
> (book_id) in table BOOK? Moreover, I don't know which book is from the
> table ORDER since it contains book_id only. book_id is meaningless.
> Why
> don't you delete the book_id column in table BOOK and replace book_id
> with book_name in table ORDER?"
>
> I think create the ID column for the book (or other table) is
> common in
> the relational database. Although the book name is unique, create an
> ID
> column is much easier to manipulate. Am I right? Or should I delete
> the
> ID column? Any comment will be appreicated.
>
> Thanks,
> Jimmy
Received on Mon Mar 09 1998 - 00:00:00 CST

Original text of this message

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