Lesson 3 Flashcards
Domain
In data modeling, the construct used to organize and describe an attribute’s set of possible values.
Key
One or more attributes that determine other attributes.
What are the types of keys?
- Superkey
- Candidate key
- Primary key
- Secondary key
- Foreign key
Primary key
In the relational model, an identifier composed of one or more attributes that uniquely identifies a row. Also, a candidate key selected as a unique entity identifier.
Determination
- The role of a key
- In the context of a database table, the statement “A determines B” indicates that knowing the value of attribute A means that the value of attribute B can be looked up.
Functional dependence
- Within a relation R, an attribute B is functionally dependent on an attribute A if and only if a given value of attribute A determines exactly one value of attribute B.
- The relationship “B is dependent on A” is equivalent to “A determines B,” and is written as A -> B.
Determinant
Any attribute in a specific row whose value directly determines other values in that row
Dependent
An attribute whose value is determined by another attribute
Full functional dependence
A condition in which an attribute is functionally dependent on a composite key but not on any subset of the key.
Composite key
A multiple-attribute key
Key attributes
The attributes that form a primary key
Superkey
An attribute or attributes that uniquely identify each entity in a table.
Candidate key
A minimal superkey; that is, a key that does not contain a subset of attributes that is itself a superkey.
Entity integrity
The property of a relational table that guarantees each entity has a unique value in a primary key and that the key has no null values.
Null
The absence of an attribute value. Note that a null is not a blank.
Foreign key (FK)
An attribute or attributes in one table whose values must match the primary key in another table or whose values must be null.
Referential integrity
A condition by which a dependent table’s foreign key must have either a null entry or a matching entry in the related table.
Secondary key
- A key used strictly for data retrieval purposes.
- For example, customers are not likely to know their customer number (primary key), but the combination of last name, first name, middle initial, and telephone number will probably match the appropriate table row.
What are the 3 types of referential integrity rules?
- Delete
- Insert
- Update
Flags
- Special codes implemented by designers to trigger a required response, alert end users to specified conditions, or encode values.
- Flags may be used to prevent nulls by bringing attention to the absence of a value in a table.
Composite entity
An entity designed to transform an M:N relationship into two 1:M relationships. The composite entity’s primary key comprises at least the primary keys of the entities that it connects.
What are the other names that refer to the definition of “composite entity”?
- Bridge entity
- Associative entity
Linking table
- In the relational model, a table that implements an M:M relationship.
- In other words, a linking table is the implementation of a composite entity.
Index
An ordered array of index key values and row ID values (pointers). Indexes are generally used to speed up and facilitate data retrieval.
_____ ____ can also be referred to as a index
Index key
Unique index
An index in which the index key can have only one associated pointer value (row).
The practical significance of taking the logical view is that it serves as a reminder of the simple file concept of data storage. (T/F)
True
You can think of a table as a persistent representation of a logical relation.
True
The order of the rows and columns is important to the DBMS.
False
Character data type also known as string data type, can contain any character or symbol not intended for mathematical manipulation, but character sets can include digits or a numeric string. (T/F)
True