Surrogate Keys in SQL: Simplifying Database Design.
Surrogate Keys: A Guide to Simplifying Database Design and Maintenance
Surrogate Keys in SQL
In SQL, a surrogate key is a unique identifier assigned to a record in a database table to uniquely identify it, even if it has no natural identifier or primary key. Surrogate keys are typically integer values generated by the database management system, instead of being any meaningful information about the record.
Before learning about the surrogate keys, one should know Natural Key in SQL
In SQL, a natural key is a type of primary key that is derived from the data stored in a table. A natural key is based on one or more attributes of a table that are unique and meaningful and can be used to identify individual rows of data.
For example, in a table of employees, a natural key might be the employee’s social security number (SSN). The SSN is unique to each employee and can be used to uniquely identify each employee in the table. Other examples of natural keys might include a product code in a table of inventory items, or a customer ID in a table of customers.
