Re: Newbie question about db normalization theory: redundant keys OK?

From: Tony Rogerson <tonyrogerson_at_torver.net>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:14:41 -0000
Message-ID: <fjuh8s$bhn$1$8302bc10_at_news.demon.co.uk>


> There are two ways I would answer this. The first says that email
> address isn't a natural key -- it doesn't uniquely define a person any
> more than hair color does. The second is that the natural key hasn't
> changed, the entity -- a mailbox on a mail server -- has changed.

Absolutely - so we need to use something that won't change - an artificial key.

-- 
Tony Rogerson, SQL Server MVP
http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/tonyrogerson
[Ramblings from the field from a SQL consultant]
http://sqlserverfaq.com
[UK SQL User Community] 
Received on Fri Dec 14 2007 - 19:14:41 CET

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