Database key types | Definition

Different database key types definition, concepts, features with examples. Basing on the key we can find, identify, and connect the database record.

Read about the database relationships.

Join_data

Employee_ID	Join_Date	Room_no
3941	20.04.18	204
3940	11.04.18	205
3943	28.05.18	206

Here in the element of the first column second row, we saw data 3941. We failed to understand what is meaning by this data. But if we see the header of this column there is a data name Employee_ID.

From this heading data, we can understand what the meaning of the data is in the whole column. This is Key.

Database keys types

Below we have discussed the Database key types with simple examples.

Key is basically 3 types-

Primary key
Composite key
Foreign key

Primary key

Employee_Info

Employee _Name	Employee _ID	Interview _date	Join _Date	Room _no
Rahman	3941	10.04.18	20.04.18	202
Khan	3940	01.04.18	11.04.18	203
Rahman	3943	18.05.18	28.05.18	203
Jordan	3942	30.04.18	9.05.18	202
Stuart	3944	19.03.18	29.03.18	202

Here each person cannot be uniquely identified by Employee_Name, Interview_date, Join_Date, and Room_no.

But it can be easily identified by Employee_ID. It works as a unique identifier.

Composite Key

Sometime we will fail to identify data by using only a single field. In those conditions, we will use two or more fields for identifying data. This is called a composite key.

Employee_Info

Employee _Name	Employee _ID	Section	Interview _date	Join _Date	Room _no
Rahman	3941	Building	10.04.18	20.04.18	202
Khan	3940	Building	01.04.18	11.04.18	203
Rahman	3941	Updating	10.04.18	20.04.18	202
Khan	3940	Updating	01.04.18	11.04.18	203

In this example, we are seeing that we failed to identify uniquely by Employee_ID. In this case, we have to use another key for identity. We can do one thing. There is a key in the table “Section”. Here we will make a composite key by using two keys “Employee_ID” and “Section”. After that, we can identify easily.

Foreign key

If we use a primary key of a table in another table as a normal key then it will be called a foreign key.

Join_data

Employee_ID	Join_Date	Room_no
3941	20.04.18	204
3940	11.04.18	205
3943	28.05.18	206

Interview_data

Interview_date	Employee_ID
10.04.18	3941
01.04.10	3940
18.05.18	3943

Employee_ID key is the primary key of the Join_data table but in the Interview_data table is a normal key.

What is the difference between primary key and foreign key?

Some difference between Database key types ( Primary key and foreign key) is given below.

Primary Key	Foreign Key
By using which field each of the records can be identified individually that is called the primary key.	If the primary key of one table is used as a normal key of another table is called a foreign key.
Used for data identification.	Used for creating a relationship between two tables.
It is the parent.	It is a child.
In a table, there will be a single primary key only.	In a table, multiple foreign keys can be saved.

Database key types | Definition | Examples