Re: Alternative to serial primary key - Mailing list pgsql-sql

From Chris Browne
Subject Re: Alternative to serial primary key
Date
Msg-id 60zmflscvn.fsf@dba2.int.libertyrms.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Alternative to serial primary key  ("Aaron Bono" <postgresql@aranya.com>)
List pgsql-sql
darcy@druid.net ("D'Arcy J.M. Cain") writes:
> And even given all of that, I would probably still use serial.
>> and has been recommended. But having a hash function over the address
>> column as the primary key means I can always regenerate my primary key
>
> Danger, Will Robinson.  The phrase "regenerate my primary key"
> immediately raises the hairs on the back of my neck.  If the primary
> key can ever change, you have a broken schema.

Actually, I'd call it worse than that...

A schema is "merely" a technical detail.

The trouble is that if the primary key can ever change, then you have
a broken model for the data.

You can do "technical things" to fix problems with a schema; if the
data model is busted, then your schema is necessarily broken, in a way
that cannot be fixed.
-- 
(format nil "~S@~S" "cbbrowne" "ntlug.org")
http://cbbrowne.com/info/unix.html
MICROS~1 is to quality software what MacDonalds is to gourmet cooking


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