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SQL Foreign Key Constraint

This document discusses SQL foreign key constraints. It provides an example of a foreign key defined between a "Persons" table and an "Orders" table. The foreign key is defined on the "P_Id" column in the "Orders" table, which references the primary key column "P_Id" in the "Persons" table. This constrains data in the "Orders" table to only contain values from the "Persons" table. The document also shows the SQL syntax for defining a foreign key constraint when creating or altering tables.

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170 views

SQL Foreign Key Constraint

This document discusses SQL foreign key constraints. It provides an example of a foreign key defined between a "Persons" table and an "Orders" table. The foreign key is defined on the "P_Id" column in the "Orders" table, which references the primary key column "P_Id" in the "Persons" table. This constrains data in the "Orders" table to only contain values from the "Persons" table. The document also shows the SQL syntax for defining a foreign key constraint when creating or altering tables.

Uploaded by

nic315
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SQL FOREIGN KEY Constraint


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SQL FOREIGN KEY Constraint


A FOREIGN KEY in one table points to a PRIMARY KEY in another table.
Let's illustrate the foreign key with an example. Look at the following two tables:
The "Persons" table:

P_Id

LastName

FirstName

Address

City

Hansen

Ola

Timoteivn 10

Sandnes

Svendson

Tove

Borgvn 23

Sandnes

Pettersen

Kari

Storgt 20

Stavanger

The "Orders" table:


O_Id

OrderNo

P_Id

77895

44678

22456

24562

Note that the "P_Id" column in the "Orders" table points to the "P_Id" column in the "Persons"
table.
The "P_Id" column in the "Persons" table is the PRIMARY KEY in the "Persons" table.
The "P_Id" column in the "Orders" table is a FOREIGN KEY in the "Orders" table.
The FOREIGN KEY constraint is used to prevent actions that would destroy links between tables.
The FOREIGN KEY constraint also prevents invalid data from being inserted into the foreign key
column, because it has to be one of the values contained in the table it points to.

SQL FOREIGN KEY Constraint on CREATE


TABLE
The following SQL creates a FOREIGN KEY on the "P_Id" column when the "Orders" table is
created:

SQL
MySQL:

CREATE TABLE Orders


(
O_Id int NOT NULL,
OrderNo int NOT NULL,
P_Id int,
PRIMARY KEY (O_Id),
FOREIGN KEY (P_Id) REFERENCES Persons(P_Id)
)
SQL Server / Oracle / MS Access:

CREATE TABLE Orders


(
O_Id int NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
OrderNo int NOT NULL,
P_Id int FOREIGN KEY REFERENCES Persons(P_Id)
)
To allow naming of a FOREIGN KEY constraint, and for defining a FOREIGN KEY constraint on
multiple columns, use the following SQL syntax:

MySQL / SQL Server / Oracle / MS Access:

CREATE TABLE Orders


(
O_Id int NOT NULL,
OrderNo int NOT NULL,
P_Id int,
PRIMARY KEY (O_Id),
CONSTRAINT fk_PerOrders FOREIGN KEY (P_Id)
REFERENCES Persons(P_Id)
)

SQL FOREIGN KEY Constraint on ALTER TABLE


To create a FOREIGN KEY constraint on the "P_Id" column when the "Orders" table is already
created, use the following SQL:
MySQL / SQL Server / Oracle / MS Access:

ALTER TABLE Orders


ADD FOREIGN KEY (P_Id)
REFERENCES Persons(P_Id)
To allow naming of a FOREIGN KEY constraint, and for defining a FOREIGN KEY constraint on
multiple columns, use the following SQL syntax:
MySQL / SQL Server / Oracle / MS Access:

ALTER TABLE Orders


ADD CONSTRAINT fk_PerOrders
FOREIGN KEY (P_Id)
REFERENCES Persons(P_Id)

To DROP a FOREIGN KEY Constraint


To drop a FOREIGN KEY constraint, use the following SQL:
MySQL:

ALTER TABLE Orders


DROP FOREIGN KEY fk_PerOrders
SQL Server / Oracle / MS Access:

ALTER TABLE Orders


DROP CONSTRAINT fk_PerOrders

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