Database Reference
In-Depth Information
You then learned about the three characteristics of table relationships: the
type of relation-
ship
(one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many), the
type of participation
(optional or man-
datory), and the
degree of participation
(minimum/maximum number of related records).
The chapter ended with a discussion of
integrity-related terms.
Here you learned that
a
field specification
establishes the general, physical, and logical characteristics of a
field—characteristics that are an integral part of every field in the database. You then
learned that
data integrity
is one of the most important aspects of the database design pro-
cess because of its positive effect on the data in the database. Also, you now know that
there are four types of data integrity—three based on database structure and one based on
the way the organization interprets and uses its data. These levels of integrity ensure the
quality of your database's design and the accuracy of the information you retrieve from it.
Review Questions
11
.
What are the three ways in which you can characterize a relationship?