Can the Candidate Key be a Foreign Key of Another Table?

Answer: Yes, a candidate key can be used as a foreign key in another table within a relational database.

A candidate key is a set of attributes within a table that uniquely identifies each record, much like a primary key. When this candidate key is used in another table as a foreign key, it establishes a relationship between the two tables.

This relationship helps maintain referential integrity, ensuring that values in the foreign key column of the second table correspond to existing values in the candidate key of the first table. This is a common practice in database design, allowing for the creation of meaningful connections between different sets of data.

For instance, consider a “DepartmentID” serving as a candidate key in a “Departments” table. It can be utilized as a foreign key in an “Employees” table to associate each employee with a specific department, streamlining data retrieval and ensuring consistency.

Conclusion

A candidate key’s versatility allows it to serve as a foreign key in another table, providing relational database designers with flexibility while ensuring the establishment and maintenance of meaningful relationships between tables.