Re: Designing Default Value

Thanks a lot for your answer, but to be honest I do not quite understand. I thought there is a way to somhow define a default value in a db table. (like you can design hierarchies with unary relationships; that was one possibility I was thinking of: to 'define' the topmost as the default value)

Are you proposing to store this information outside the db in lets say a plain text file and giving up basic integrity constraints?

The point is that I need to store this information on defaults in my db (MS SQL Server 2k btw.).

Thanks a lot once again,

Michael

Alan wrote:

> Values do not belong in an ERD. They belong in the data dictionary document
> that is submitted with the rest of your assignment. What you are talking
> about *is* an implementation detail, not a design detail. Depending on the
> tool you are using, you may be able to build the list and select the default
> automatically, but they still don't belong on the ERD.
>
> An ERD shows abstract business relationships among the data- not
> implementaion level items.
>
>
> "Michael Fuchs" <fuze_at_REMOVE.THIS.STUFFgmx.net> wrote in message
> news:bn17k5$mjl$1_at_bird.wu-wien.ac.at...
>

>>Having a list of values in one table, what would be the clean way to go
>>to *design* a default value? (in an ER diagram)
>>
>>I do NOT want to know about setting default values for CREATE TABLE
>>statements when adding data, the question is how to design this
>>information so that it can be read into my application.
>>
>>example table:
>>
>>----------
>>|Currency|    now i would like to have USD
>>|--------|    as the default value,
>>| EUR    |    the application should then be
>>| USD    |    able to preselect this value
>>| CHF    |    to make usage easier;
>>| CAD    |
>>----------
>>
>>Thank you very much everybody, your help is enormously appreciated!
>>
>>Michael
>>