Re: Artificial Primary keys

From: Bernard Peek <bap_at_shrdlu.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 14:46:08 +0000
Message-ID: <1RWc$oFw4BU8Ew$$_at_shrdlu.com>


In message <3c4f3e5e$0$13976$edfadb0f_at_dspool01.news.tele.dk>, Jan Emil Larsen <jel_at_g-it.dk> writes

>A key should be imutable, and should therefore be without information in it
>self.

The first is true but the second doesn't follow from it. You should definitely try as hard as you can to have an immutable primary key but where possible it should be immutable because the data in it really does identify one and only one thing. It's only when you don't have such a key that you need an artificial one.

-- 
Bernard Peek
bap_at_shrdlu.com

In search of cognoscenti
Received on Thu Jan 24 2002 - 15:46:08 CET

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