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A unique constraint can be defined on columns that allow nulls, in which case rows that include nulls may not actually be unique across the set of columns defined by the constraint. Each table can have multiple unique constraints. On some RDBMS a unique constraint generates a nonclustered index by default.
A foreign key is a set of attributes in a table that refers to the primary key of another table, linking these two tables. In the context of relational databases, a foreign key is subject to an inclusion dependency constraint that the tuples consisting of the foreign key attributes in one relation, R, must also exist in some other (not necessarily distinct) relation, S; furthermore that those ...
Let's set an example convention saying a book up to 350 pages is considered "slim" and a book over 350 pages is considered "thick". This convention is technically a constraint but it is neither a domain constraint nor a key constraint; therefore we cannot rely on domain constraints and key constraints to keep the data integrity.
Sometimes databases also support alternative syntax for this; for example, MySQL allows omitting the DEFAULT keyword, and T-SQL can use DEFAULT VALUES instead of VALUES(DEFAULT). The DEFAULT keyword can also be used in normal insertion to explicitly fill a column using that column's default value:
For example, Microsoft SQL Server documentation states the following: [24] For indexing purposes, NULLs compare as equal. Therefore, a unique index, or UNIQUE constraint, cannot be created if the keys are NULL in more than one row. Select columns that are defined as NOT NULL when columns for a unique index or unique constraint are chosen.
In MySQL, double quotes are string literal delimiters by default instead. Enabling the ansi_quotes SQL mode enforces the SQL standard behavior. These can also be used regardless of this mode through backticks: `YEAR`. Clauses, which are constituent components of statements and queries.
The formal definition of a database schema is a set of formulas (sentences) called integrity constraints imposed on a database. [citation needed] These integrity constraints ensure compatibility between parts of the schema. All constraints are expressible in the same language.
An example of a database that has not enforced referential integrity. In this example, there is a foreign key (artist_id) value in the album table that references a non-existent artist — in other words there is a foreign key value with no corresponding primary key value in the referenced table.