Database Design for Mere Mortals™: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, Second Edition

Relationship-Related Terms

Relationships

A relationship exists between two tables when you can in some way associate the records of the first table with those of the second. You can establish the relationship via a set of primary and foreign keys (as you learned in the previous section) or through a third table known as a linking table (also known as an associative table). The manner in which you establish the relationship really depends on the type of relationship that exists between the tables. (You'll learn more about that in a moment.) Figure 3.11 illustrates a relationship established via primary/foreign keys, and Figure 3.12 illustrates a relationship established with a linking table.

Figure 3.12. A relationship established between ...