Re: FK -> non PK - bad design?

Bernard Peek <bap_at_shrdlu.com> wrote in message news:<Usc2Kzu5aIl+EwoR_at_diamond9.demon.co.uk>...
> In message <5606b639.0304090641.2282467f_at_posting.google.com>, OtisUsenet
> <otis_usenet_at_yahoo.com> writes
> >
> >I wanted to have a database-generated ID for each row just for sanity,
> >and because an Oracle DBA once told me it is always good to have a
> >db-generated id/PK in each table.
>
> This issue crops up here about once a month but I don't recall anyone
> saying that they did it for reasons of sanity.
>
> The brief version of the argument against using a system generated
> numeric and a separate text field is that you need to have a system to
> keep the two synchronised. That's more work and more error-prone than
> just using your Type field as a PK.
>
> Sometimes there are good reasons to choose a system generated ID but I'd
> recommend that you avoid them if you have a real key available in the
> data.

Bernard, seems to me that just the fact that users may want to change the name of a service plan is reason enough for a system generated ID/PK. Received on Fri Apr 11 2003 - 21:19:34 CEST