Fundamentals I
Volume II Student Guide
D49996GC10
Edition 1.0
August 2007
D52129
UNIQUE Constraint
A UNIQUE key integrity constraint requires that every value in a column or a set of columns (key) be
uniquethat is, no two rows of a table can have duplicate values in a specified column or a set of
columns. The column (or set of columns) included in the definition of the UNIQUE key constraint is
called the unique key. If the UNIQUE constraint comprises more than one column, that group of
columns is called a composite unique key.
UNIQUE constraints enable the input of nulls unless you also define NOT NULL constraints for the
same columns. In fact, any number of rows can include nulls for columns without the NOT NULL
constraints because nulls are not considered equal to anything. A null in a column (or in all columns
of a composite UNIQUE key) always satisfies a UNIQUE constraint.
Note: Because of the search mechanism for the UNIQUE constraints on more than one column, you
cannot have identical values in the non-null columns of a partially null composite UNIQUE key
constraint.
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UNIQUE Constraint
Defined at either the table level or the column level:
CREATE TABLE employees(
employee_id NUMBER(6),
last_name VARCHAR2(25) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR2(25),
salary NUMBER(8,2),
commission_pct NUMBER(2,2),
hire_date DATE NOT NULL,
...
CONSTRAINT emp_email_uk UNIQUE(email));
UNIQUE Constraint (continued)
UNIQUE constraints can be defined at the column level or table level. You define the constraint at
the table level when you want to create a composite unique key. A composite key is defined when
there is not a single attribute that can uniquely identify a row. In that case, you can have a unique key
that is composed of two or more columns, the combined value of which is always unique and can
identify rows.
The example in the slide applies the UNIQUE constraint to the EMAIL column of the EMPLOYEES
table. The name of the constraint is EMP_EMAIL_UK.
Note: The Oracle server enforces the UNIQUE constraint by implicitly creating a unique index on the
unique key column or columns.
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PRIMARY KEY Constraint
DEPARTMENTS
PRIMARY KEY
INSERT INTO
Not allowed
(null value)
Not allowed
(50 already exists)
PRIMARY KEY Constraint
A PRIMARY KEY constraint creates a primary key for the table. Only one primary key can be created
for each table. The PRIMARY KEY constraint is a column or a set of columns that uniquely identifies
each row in a table. This constraint enforces the uniqueness of the column or column combination
and ensures that no column that is part of the primary key can contain a null value.
Note: Because uniqueness is part of the primary key constraint definition, the Oracle server enforces
the uniqueness by implicitly creating a unique index on the primary key column or columns.
Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I 10 - 24
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FOREIGN KEY Constraint
DEPARTMENTS
EMPLOYEES
FOREIGN
KEY
INSERT INTO
Not allowed
(9 does not
exist)
Allowed
PRIMARY
KEY
Equijoins
To determine an employees department name, you compare the value in the DEPARTMENT_ID
column in the EMPLOYEES table with the DEPARTMENT_ID values in the DEPARTMENTS table.
The relationship between the EMPLOYEES and DEPARTMENTS tables is an equijoin; that is, values
in the DEPARTMENT_ID column in both tables must be equal. Often, this type of join involves
primary and foreign key complements.
Note: Equijoins are also called simple joins or inner joins.
Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I C - 10
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SELECT e.employee_id, e.last_name, e.department_id,
d.department_id, d.location_id
FROM employees e, departments d
WHERE e.department_id = d.department_id;
Retrieving Records with Equijoins
Self-Join: Example
The slide example joins the EMPLOYEES table to itself. To simulate two tables in the FROM clause,
there are two aliases, namely worker and manager, for the same table, EMPLOYEES.
In this example, the WHERE clause contains the join that means where a workers manager number
matches the employee number for the manager.
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Summary
In this appendix, you should have learned how to use joins to
display data from multiple tables by using Oracle-proprietary
syntax.
Summary
There are multiple ways to join tables.
Types of Joins
Cartesian products
Equijoins
Nonequijoins
Outer joins
Self-joins
Cartesian Products
A Cartesian product results in a display of all combinations of rows. This is done by omitting the
WHERE clause.
Table Aliases
Table aliases speed up database access.
Table aliases can help to keep SQL code smaller by conserving memory.
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Practice C: Overview
This practice covers the following topics:
Joining tables by using an equijoin
Performing outer and self-joins
Adding conditions
Practice C: Overview
This practice is intended to give you practical experience in extracting data from more than one table
using the Oracle join syntax.
Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I C - 24
Practice C
1. Write a query for the HR department to produce the addresses of all the departments. Use the
LOCATIONS and COUNTRIES tables. Show the location ID, street address, city, state or
province, and country in the output. Run the query.
2. The HR department needs a report of all employees. Write a query to display the last name,
department number, and department name for all employees. Run the query.