Question

In a relational database, a foreign key field must match with its primary key field in what aspects? Choose all that apply.

a) Data type
b) Table name
c) Record order
d) Value
e) Field type
f) Field size

Answer 1

A foreign key in a relational database must match the corresponding primary key field in terms of data type, field type, and field size.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a relational database, when we consider a foreign key field and its corresponding primary key field, there are specific aspects that must match. Here are the correct aspects:

Field type - Similarly, the field type should match. If the primary key is a variable character type (VARCHAR), the foreign key should also be of this type.

Field size - The field size or length must be the same or large enough to hold all potential values of the primary key.

The table name and record order do not need to match, nor does the value—as foreign keys are meant to reference the value of a primary key in another table, not replicate them exactly in terms of actual data. The match is in structure, not content.