A primary key is one or more columns that have been configured as the unique identifier field for the table.
Most primary keys are comprised of a single column, but they can also be comprised of multiple columns.
Any value stored in a primary key field is unique to that record. No other record contains that value. The value is a unique identifier.
A foreign key is a field that is linked to another table‘s primary key field in a relationship between two tables.
In relational database management systems, a relationship defines a relationship between two or more tables. That is, the data in one table is related to the data in the other. One table contains the primary key and the other table contains the foreign key.
When we establish a relationship between the tables, we link the foreign key with the primary key. From that point on, any value in the foreign key field should match a value from the primary key field in the other table.
In the world of databases, a view is a query that’s stored on a database.
The term can also be used to refer to the result set of a stored query.
To create a view, you write a query, then save it as a view.
To run a view, you query it, just like you’d query a table. The difference is that, the view itself is a query. So when you query the view, you’re effectively querying a query. This enables you to save complex queries as views, then run simple queries against those views.
A stored procedure is a series of SQL statements compiled and saved to the database.
Stored procedures can be as simple or as complex as you like. However, one of the benefits of stored procedures is that they allow you to store complex scripts on the server.
Stored procedures often contain conditional programming such as IF... ELSE statements for example. Stored procedures can also accept parameters.
RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management System.
An RDBMS is a particular type of DBMS that uses a relational model for its databases. An RDBMS therefore enables you to create relational databases.
Relational database management systems have become the most popular type of database system. Most major database management systems are relational. Popular examples include Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Oracle Database, MySQL, FileMaker, PostgreSQL, and more below.