[AccessD] OT: The Great Primary Debate

I think the point is that some people go with Natural keys and others favor
arbitrary keys, like AutoNumbers, and that it's a point of honor so neither
side is willing to budge! <vbg>

Oh and it was yours truly who suggested we are getting close to a complete
DNA sequence being used as a "natural key" to a person.

Lambert

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Scott Marcus [SMTP:marcus at tsstech.com]
> Sent:	Monday, June 14, 2004 3:37 PM
> To:	Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject:	RE: [AccessD] OT: The Great Primary Debate
> 
> << Nope sorry, but your missing the point.
> 
> What exactly is the point?
> 
> We are getting close to what someone else said(I think Gustav). The only
> natural key for an object, is the object.
> 
> Scott Marcus
> TSS Technologies, Inc.
> marcus at tsstech.com
> (513) 772-7000
> 
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]  On Behalf Of Jim Dettman
> Sent:	Monday, June 14, 2004 3:32 PM
> To:	Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject:	RE: [AccessD] OT: The Great Primary Debate
> 
> Francis,
> 
>  <<Perversely, I would state the situation as the inverse of your
> statement, as long as you don't change the autonumber, you can change
> any attribute without changing the instance.>>
> 
>  Nope sorry, but your missing the point.
> 
> Jim
> (315) 699-3443
> jimdettman at earthlink.net 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Francis Harvey
> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 1:23 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: The Great Primary Debate
> 
> 
> Jim,
> 
> Perversely, I would state the situation as the inverse of your
> statement, as long as you don't change the autonumber, you can change
> any attribute without changing the instance. By using this approach,
> you provide a solution to fix mistakes in the attributes that make up
> the so-called "natural" keys due to miskeying, incomplete information,
> or a change in value.
> 
> In fact, if you used "natural" keys as your primary key, in order to
> fix such mistakes you would have to allow for the very same thing that
> you are claiming prevents autonumbers from being natural keys, 
> changing an attribute without changing the instance.
> 
> Francis R Harvey III
> WB 303, (301)294-3952
> harveyf1 at westat.com
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com 
> > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Dettman
> > Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 8:33 AM
> > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: The Great Primary Debate
> > 
> > 
> > Scott,
> > 
> <snip>
> > 
> >   No because the serial number would be associated with the 
> > instance, so it
> > becomes an attribute even though it was assigned.  An 
> > autonumber is not.  I
> > can change an autonumber at any time with no affect at all.  
> > Looking at any
> > given row, if I change the autonumber, nothing happens.  If I 
> > changed the
> > serial number, I'd no longer be referring to the same instance.  One
> > meaningless, the other derived from the attributes of what 
> > I'm referring to.
> > 
> > Jim Dettman
> > (315) 699-3443
> > jimdettman at earthlink.net
> <snip>
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