[AccessD] Referential Integrity -- Fact or Fiction?

Greg Smith GregSmith at starband.net
Fri May 14 11:58:29 CDT 2004


Lambert:

Well, I guess that wasn't very clear.  In the Fee Book Ledger table
(secondary), the [Fee Book #] field, by table definition, is not required,
even though it is the linked field to the Fee Book table (primary) by the
[Fee Book #] field.  However, referential integrity between the Fee Book
table and the Fee Book Ledger table using this [Fee Book #] field "should"
always force an entry in this field in the Fee Book Ledger table, or at
least cause an Access error to appear.

But I can enter data into the Fee Book Ledger table, and leave the [Fee
Book #] field blank and Access accepts it into the table.

My understanding (correct or incorrect) is that if Referential Integrity
is enforced, then data in the secondary table cannot be entered if there
is no related record in the primary table.  Which is NOT what is happening
here.

There has to be a reason this is happening...I hope.

Let me know if this needs further explanation ...

Greg



> Greg,
>
> You say " No fee book number (in the Fee Book Ledger table...it's
> blank...but the field is NOT required...yet) but some of the other
> fields are filled.  Just a blank [Fee Book #] field. "
>
> This looks like a direct contradiction to me??? No fee book number filed
> in blank ,but you have some blank fee book number fields?
>
> Lambert
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:	Greg Smith [SMTP:GregSmith at starband.net]
>> Sent:	Friday, May 14, 2004 12:05 PM
>> To:	accessd at databaseadvisors.com
>> Subject:	[AccessD] Referential Integrity -- Fact or Fiction?
>>
>> Hi everyone!
>>
>> I've got a puzzler here that makes no sense to me.  Access 97. SP
>> "I've Lost Count"...
>>
>> This is a large database with many related tables.  There is one main
>> table (Fee Book) with the Primary Key is [Fee Book #].  It is manually
>> entered, but is unique by definition.  In one of the related tables
>> (Fee Book Ledger), this field is used for the related records in both
>> tables.  The Fee Book table is the main table while the Fee Book
>> Ledger table holds related records.  Referential Intregity is

etc.





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