What are the different types of keys used in the database

Question

Hi!!

Can someone list the various types of leys used in the database?

Answer 1

There are mainly 5 types of Keys, that can be mentioned in the database.

• Candidate Key – The minimal set of attributes which can uniquely identify a tuple is known as a candidate key. A relation can hold more than a single candidate key, where the key is either a simple or composite key.
• Super Key – The set of attributes which can uniquely identify a tuple is known as Super Key. So, a candidate key is a superkey, but vice-versa isn’t true.
• Primary Key – A set of attributes that can be used to uniquely identify every tuple is also a primary key. So, if there are 3-4 candidate keys present in a relationship, then out those, one can be chosen as a primary key.
• Alternate Key – The candidate key other than the primary key is called as an alternate key.
• Foreign Key – An attribute that can only take the values present as the values of some other attribute, is the foreign key to the attribute to which it refers.