Data Integrity
Types of Data Integrity
This section describes the rules that can be applied to table columns to enforce different types of data integrity.
Null Rule
A null rule is a rule defined on a single column that allows or disallows inserts or updates of rows containing a null (the absence of a value) in that column.
Unique Column Values
A unique value rule defined on a column (or set of columns) allows the insert or update of a row only if it contains a unique value in that column (or set of columns).
Primary Key Values
A primary key value rule defined on a key (a column or set of columns) specifies that each row in the table can be uniquely identified by the values in the key.
Referential Integrity Rules
A referential integrity rule is a rule defined on a key (a column or set of columns) in one table that guarantees that the values in that key match the values in a key in a related table (the referenced value).
Referential integrity also includes the rules that dictate what types of data manipulation are allowed on referenced values and how these actions affect dependent values. The rules associated with referential integrity are:
•Restrict: Disallows the update or deletion of referenced data.
•Set to Null: When referenced data is updated or deleted, all associated dependent data is set to NULL.
•Set to Default: When referenced data is updated or deleted, all associated dependent data is set to a default value.
•Cascade: When referenced data is updated, all associated dependent data is correspondingly updated. When a referenced row is deleted, all associated dependent rows are deleted.
•No Action: Disallows the update or deletion of referenced data. This differs from RESTRICT in that it is checked at the end of the statement, or at the end of the transaction if the constraint is deferred. (Oracle uses No Action as its default action.)
Complex Integrity Checking
Complex integrity checking is a user-defined rule for a column (or set of
This section describes the rules that can be applied to table columns to enforce different types of data integrity.
Null Rule
A null rule is a rule defined on a single column that allows or disallows inserts or updates of rows containing a null (the absence of a value) in that column.
Unique Column Values
A unique value rule defined on a column (or set of columns) allows the insert or update of a row only if it contains a unique value in that column (or set of columns).
Primary Key Values
A primary key value rule defined on a key (a column or set of columns) specifies that each row in the table can be uniquely identified by the values in the key.
Referential Integrity Rules
A referential integrity rule is a rule defined on a key (a column or set of columns) in one table that guarantees that the values in that key match the values in a key in a related table (the referenced value).
Referential integrity also includes the rules that dictate what types of data manipulation are allowed on referenced values and how these actions affect dependent values. The rules associated with referential integrity are:
•Restrict: Disallows the update or deletion of referenced data.
•Set to Null: When referenced data is updated or deleted, all associated dependent data is set to NULL.
•Set to Default: When referenced data is updated or deleted, all associated dependent data is set to a default value.
•Cascade: When referenced data is updated, all associated dependent data is correspondingly updated. When a referenced row is deleted, all associated dependent rows are deleted.
•No Action: Disallows the update or deletion of referenced data. This differs from RESTRICT in that it is checked at the end of the statement, or at the end of the transaction if the constraint is deferred. (Oracle uses No Action as its default action.)
Complex Integrity Checking
Complex integrity checking is a user-defined rule for a column (or set of