UNIT- II

Constraints and Keys

 Integrity Constraints
Integrity constraints in a Database Management System (DBMS)
are rules that ensure the accuracy and consistency of data within
a database. They enforce data integrity, ensuring that the data
entered into the database adheres to certain standards and
rules. Here are the main types of integrity constraints commonly
used in DBMS:
1. Domain Integrity:
– Domain Constraint: Ensures that all values in a column fall within a
certain range or set of values. For example, a column for ages might be
constrained to values between 0 and 150.
– NOT NULL Constraint: Ensures that a column cannot have a NULL
value. This is used to ensure that a field always has a value.
• Example:
CREATE TABLE Employees ( EmployeeID INT PRIMARY
KEY, Name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL, Age INT CHECK
(Age >= 18 AND Age <= 65), Email VARCHAR(100)
UNIQUE );
INSERT INTO Employees (EmployeeID, Name, Age, Email) VALUES (1, 'Alice Johnson', 30,
'[email protected]'), (2, 'Bob Smith', 45, '[email protected]'), (3, 'Charlie
Brown', 25, '[email protected]'), (4, 'Diana Prince', 35, '[email protected]');
2. Entity Integrity:
• Primary Key Constraint: Ensures that a column (or a set of
columns) has unique values across all rows in the table and
that none of the values are NULL. This uniquely identifies each
row in a table.
• Unique Constraint: Ensures that all the values in a column are
unique. Unlike the primary key, a table can have multiple
unique constraints.
• Example: CREATE TABLE Departments ( DepartmentID INT
PRIMARY KEY, DepartmentName VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL );
3. Referential Integrity:
• Foreign Key Constraint: Ensures that the value in a
column (or a set of columns) matches the value in a
column of another table, maintaining a relationship
between the two tables. This is used to maintain the
integrity of data across different tables.
• Example:
• CREATE TABLE EmployeeDepartment ( EmployeeID INT,
DepartmentID INT, FOREIGN KEY (EmployeeID)
REFERENCES Employees(EmployeeID), FOREIGN KEY
(DepartmentID) REFERENCES
Departments(DepartmentID) );
4. User-Defined Integrity:
• Check Constraint: Allows for more complex rules that cannot
be enforced by the basic integrity constraints. It specifies a
condition that each row must satisfy. For example, a check
constraint might ensure that the salary of an employee is
always greater than zero.
• Example:
CREATE TABLE Orders ( OrderID INT PRIMARY KEY, OrderDate
DATE NOT NULL, TotalAmount DECIMAL(10, 2) CHECK
(TotalAmount > 0) );
 Keys in Relational Model

Keys are one of the basic requirements of a relational

database model. It is widely used to identify the
tuples(rows) uniquely in the table. We also use keys to
set up relations amongst various columns and tables of
a relational database.
Different Types of Database Keys
1. Primary key
• It is the first key used to identify one and only one instance of
an entity uniquely. The key which is most suitable from those
lists becomes a primary key.
• In the EMPLOYEE table, ID can be the primary key since it is
unique for each employee. In the EMPLOYEE table, we can
even select License_Number and Passport_Number as
primary keys since they are also unique.
2. Candidate key
• A candidate key is an attribute or set of attributes that can
uniquely identify a tuple.
• Except for the primary key, the remaining attributes are
considered a candidate key. The candidate keys are as strong
as the primary key.
• For example: In the EMPLOYEE table, id is best suited for the
primary key. The rest of the attributes, like SSN,
Passport_Number, License_Number, etc., are considered a
candidate key.
3. Super Key
• Super key is an attribute set that can uniquely identify a tuple.
A super key is a superset of a candidate key.
4. Foreign key
• Foreign keys are the column of the table used to point to the
primary key of another table.
• Every employee works in a specific department in a company,
and employee and department are two different entities. So
we can't store the department's information in the employee
table. That's why we link these two tables through the
primary key of one table.
5. Alternate key
• There may be one or more attributes or a combination of
attributes that uniquely identify each tuple in a relation.
These attributes or combinations of the attributes are called
the candidate keys. In other words, the total number of the
alternate keys is the total number of candidate keys minus the
primary key. For example, employee relation has two
attributes, Employee_Id and PAN_No, that act as candidate
keys. In this relation, Employee_Id is chosen as the primary
key, so the other candidate key, PAN_No, acts as the Alternate
key.
6. Composite key
• Whenever a primary key consists of more than one attribute,
it is known as a composite key. This key is also known as
Concatenated Key.
• For example, in employee relations, we assume that an
employee may be assigned multiple roles, and an employee
may work on multiple projects simultaneously. So the primary
key will be composed of all three attributes, namely Emp_ID,
Emp_role, and Proj_ID in combination. So these attributes act
as a composite key since the primary key comprises more
than one attribute.
7. Artificial key
• The key created using arbitrarily assigned data are known as
artificial keys. These keys are created when a primary key is
large and complex and has no relationship with many other
relations. The data values of the artificial keys are usually
numbered in a serial order. Also known as surrogate key.
• For example, the primary key, which is composed of Emp_ID,
Emp_role, and Proj_ID, is large in employee relations. So it
would be better to add a new virtual attribute to identify each
tuple in the relation uniquely
 MCQs
Which of the following is not a type of integrity
constraint in a DBMS?
a) Domain Integrity
b) Referential Integrity
c) Entity Integrity
d) Functional Integrity
Answer: d) Functional Integrity
What does a primary key constraint ensure?
a) All values in a column are unique and non-null
b) Values in a column must match values in
another table
c) All values in a column fall within a certain
range
d) Values in a column can be duplicated
Answer: a) All values in a column are unique and
non-null
Which integrity constraint enforces a
relationship between two tables?
a) Primary Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Check Constraint
d) Unique Constraint
Answer: c) NOT NULL Constraint
A composite key is:
a) A primary key that consists of two or more
columns
b) A foreign key that refers to multiple columns
c) A key that contains duplicate values
d) A key used to create indexes
Answer: a) A primary key that consists of two or
more columns
What type of constraint would you use to
ensure that an employee's salary is always
greater than zero?
a) Primary Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Check Constraint
d) Unique Constraint
• Answer: c) Check Constraint
Which constraint can be applied to ensure the
uniqueness of values in a column, but allows
NULLs?
a) Primary Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Unique Constraint
d) NOT NULL Constraint
Answer: c) Unique Constraint
A table can have how many primary keys?
a) One
b) Two
c) As many as needed
d) Zero
Answer: a) One
Which of the following is a user-defined
constraint?
a) Primary Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Check Constraint
d) NOT NULL Constraint
Answer: c) Check Constraint
What does referential integrity ensure in a
DBMS?
a) Data in a table is accurate and consistent
b) Data in a table is unique and non-null
c) Relationships between tables are maintained
correctly
d) Data is stored in a secure manner
Answer: c) Relationships between tables are
maintained correctly
Which of the following is a unique identifier for
a row in a table?
a) Foreign Key
b) Primary Key
c) Composite Key
d) Candidate Key
Answer: b) Primary Key
What is a foreign key used for in a database?
a) To uniquely identify records within a table
b) To link two tables together
c) To ensure that all values in a column are
unique
d) To enforce domain integrity
Answer: b) To link two tables together
Which key can be composed of two or more
columns?
a) Primary Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Composite Key
d) Super Key
Answer: c) Composite Key
A surrogate key is:
a) A key that is not derived from application data
b) A natural key
c) Always a primary key
d) A key that combines two or more columns
Answer: a) A key that is not derived from
application data
Which of the following is a potential candidate
for the primary key in a table?
a) Alternate Key
b) Super Key
c) Foreign Key
d) Candidate Key
Answer: d) Candidate Key
What is an alternate key?
a) A key that serves as an alternative to the
foreign key
b) A key that serves as an alternative to the
primary key
c) A key that is automatically generated by the
DBMS
d) A composite key
Answer: b) A key that serves as an alternative to
the primary key
Which key ensures that no two rows have the
same combination of values in a set of
columns?
a) Primary Key
b) Unique Key
c) Foreign Key
d) Composite Key
Answer: b) Unique Key
Which of the following can be a super key?
a) Any combination of columns that uniquely
identifies a row
b) A single column that contains unique values
c) A set of columns that includes the primary key
and additional columns
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
What is the purpose of a candidate key in a
table?
a) To identify records for foreign key
relationships
b) To act as an alternate to the primary key
c) To uniquely identify a row in the table
d) To enforce referential integrity
Answer: c) To uniquely identify a row in the
table
Which key must be unique across the table and
cannot contain NULL values?
a) Unique Key
b) Foreign Key
c) Primary Key
d) Composite Key
Answer: c) Primary Key