foreign key

1 definition found

foreign key - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  foreign key
  
     <database> A column in a database table containing values
     that are also found in some primary key column (of a
     different table).  By extension, any reference to entities of
     a different type.
  
     Some RDBMSs allow a column to be explicitly labelled as a
     foreign key and only allow values to be inserted if they
     already exist in the relevant primary key column.
  
     [Is it still a foregn key if the primary key is in a different
     column in the __same__ table?]
  
     (2005-01-14)