From: "Loeke" <LoekeDoeLoekeDoe@dontlikespam.hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: question : the choice of the primary key.
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 15:17:55 +0100
Organization: KULeuvenNet
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Message-ID: <1073485069.11869@seven.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be>
References: <1073432278.456150@seven.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be>
Cache-Post-Path: seven.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be!unknown@10-4-148-255.kotnet.org
To: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org

> 1.many people make an extra id field and choose this id field to be the
> p-key,
> but then the same person can be present twice in the table (with different
> id fields), the id in itself has no real meaning
> 2.or u can choose the "natural" key for each person, lets say a name and
the
> birthdate of a person make that person unique, so lets make (the whole
name
> en the birthdate) the primary-key; but then if another table X wants to
> refer this table of persons using a foreign key, this foreign key exists
out
> of 3 fields, which smells redundant

i solved it for now
using a p-key (the short id)
and a a-key (the natural key),
so integrity is ok and refences are short.

>
> u have often this choice in determining the primary keys,
>
> plz give me your opinions, options i overlooked or usefull comments.
>
>