How to create foreign key in sap abap

What is a foreign key in SAP ABAP?

You use foreign keys to define relationships between tables in the ABAP Dictionary, create value checks for input fields and link several tables in aview or alock object. This field is called the foreign key field. A foreign key allows you to assign data records in the foreign key table and check table.

How do I find a foreign key in SAP ABAP?

Normally, if you are trying to locate a foreign key, you can proceed as follows.
  1. Transaction Code: SE11.
  2. Enter the table in question. For example BSEG.
  3. Select a table field. For example BUKRS or KUNNR.
  4. Click on Foreign Keys.
  5. A screen will pop-up with the foreign key fields and tables where you can see the CHECK TABLE.

How do you represent a foreign key?

Foreign key: term used in relational databases (but not in the E-R model) for an attribute that is the primary key of another table and is used to establish a relationship with that table where it appears as an attribute also. So a foreign key value occurs in the table and again in the other table.

Can foreign key be null?

Short answer: Yes, it can be NULL or duplicate. I want to explain why a foreign key might need to be null or might need to be unique or not unique. First remember a Foreign key simply requires that the value in that field must exist first in a different table (the parent table). Null by definition is not a value.

What is a foreign key example?

Definition: Foreign keys are the columns of a table that points to the primary key of another table. They act as a cross-reference between tables. For example: In the below example the Stu_Id column in Course_enrollment table is a foreign key as it points to the primary key of the Student table.

Is foreign key a primary key?

A primary key is used to ensure data in the specific column is unique. A foreign key is a column or group of columns in a relational database table that provides a link between data in two tables. It refers to the field in a table which is the primary key of another table.

Why foreign key is used in SQL?

The FOREIGN KEY constraint is used to prevent actions that would destroy links between tables. A FOREIGN KEY is a field (or collection of fields) in one table, that refers to the PRIMARY KEY in another table.

What is difference between primary key and foreign key?

Primary key is used to identify data uniquely therefore two rows can’t have the same primary key. It can’t be null. On the other hand, foreign key is used to maintain relationship between two tables. Primary of a table act as forgein key in the other table.

Can Unique Key be a primary key?

A primary key must be unique. A unique key does not have to be the primary key – see candidate key. That is, there may be more than one combination of columns on a table that can uniquely identify a row – only one of these can be selected as the primary key. The others, though unique are candidate keys.

What is primary key and example?

A primary key is either an existing table column or a column that is specifically generated by the database according to a defined sequence. For example, students are routinely assigned unique identification (ID) numbers, and all adults receive government-assigned and uniquely-identifiable Social Security numbers.

What data type is a primary key?

A primary key is a field in a table which uniquely identifies each row/record in a database table. Primary keys must contain unique values. A primary key column cannot have NULL values. A table can have only one primary key, which may consist of single or multiple fields.

Can varchar be primary key?

VARCHAR column as Primary Key is not a good choice as normally we create Cluster Index on same column. Secondly while using varchar key column as Foreign Key will take extra space as compared to Pseudo key auto-incremented column. BUT. Clustered index on auto-incremented column may create “hot spot”.

Can two tables have the same primary key?

Every table can have (but does not have to have) a primary key. The column or columns defined as the primary key ensure uniqueness in the table; no two rows can have the same key. The primary key of one table may also help to identify records in other tables, and be part of the second table’s primary key.

What is a good primary key?

Good primary keys are essential to good database design. The primary key should consist of one column whenever possible. The name should mean the same 5 years from now as it does today. The data value should be non-null and remain constant over time.

Can I use UUID as primary key?

UUID values can be generated anywhere that avoid a round trip to the database server. By using UUID, you can generate the primary key value of the parent table up front and insert rows into both parent and child tables at the same time within a transaction.

What is alternate key?

Alternate Key or Secondary Key is the key that has not been selected to be the primary key, but are candidate keys. However, it is considered a candidate key for the primary key. A candidate key not selected as a primary key is called alternate or secondary key.

Can we update primary key in MySQL?

3 Answers. Next time, use a single “alter table” statement to update the primary key. alter table xx drop primary key, add primary key(k1, k2, k3);

What is primary key short answer?

In the relational model of databases, a primary key is a specific choice of a minimal set of attributes (columns) that uniquely specify a tuple (row) in a relation (table). Informally, a primary key is “which attributes identify a record”, and in simple cases are simply a single attribute: a unique id.

Why we define primary key?

The main purpose of primary key is to identify the uniqueness of a row, where as unique key is to prevent the duplicates, following are the main difference between primary key and unique key. Primary Key : The primary key enforces the entity integrity of the table. All columns defined must be defined as NOT NULL .

What primary key means?

The PRIMARY KEY constraint uniquely identifies each record in a table. Primary keys must contain UNIQUE values, and cannot contain NULL values. A table can have only ONE primary key; and in the table, this primary key can consist of single or multiple columns (fields).