How Do You Spell CANDIDATE KEY?

Pronunciation: [kˈandɪdˌe͡ɪt kˈiː] (IPA)

The spelling of "candidate key" is straightforward once you understand its pronunciation. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is written as /ˈkændɪdət ki/. The first syllable, /ˈkændɪdət/, is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable and sounds like "CAN-dih-date." The second syllable, /ki/, is pronounced like the letter "key." Together, the word refers to a unique identifier in a database table. When pronounced correctly, it helps ensure accuracy and consistency in data storage and retrieval.

CANDIDATE KEY Meaning and Definition

1. A candidate key, in the context of databases, refers to a unique identifier that is capable of uniquely identifying each record within a database table. It is a minimal set of attributes that collectively and uniquely identify a given record. In simpler terms, a candidate key is a combination of one or more attributes that uniquely identifies each row in a table.

   To qualify as a candidate key, a set of attributes must possess two essential properties - uniqueness and minimality. Uniqueness means that no two records within the table can have the same combination of attribute values for the candidate key, ensuring that it can accurately identify individual records. Minimality implies that if any attribute is removed from the candidate key, it will lose its uniqueness property, and hence no longer qualify as a candidate key.

   Candidate keys play a crucial role in database design and normalization. They are utilized to establish relationships between tables and maintain data integrity. Often, multiple candidate keys may exist for a given table, out of which one is selected as the primary key to uniquely identify each record. Non-selected candidate keys are referred to as alternate keys. It is important to note that candidate keys can span one or more attributes based on the nature and requirements of the table.

   In summary, a candidate key is a minimal set of attributes that uniquely identifies each record within a database table, ensuring data integrity and facilitating efficient data retrieval and manipulation.

Common Misspellings for CANDIDATE KEY

• xandidate key
• vandidate key
• fandidate key
• dandidate key
• czndidate key
• csndidate key
• cwndidate key
• cqndidate key
• cabdidate key
• camdidate key
• cajdidate key
• cahdidate key
• cansidate key
• canxidate key
• cancidate key
• canfidate key
• canridate key
• caneidate key
• candudate key
• candjdate key

Etymology of CANDIDATE KEY

The word "candidate key" originates from the field of relational database design. The term "candidate" in this context implies that the key is a potential choice or contender for being a primary key.

The word "key" refers to a database attribute or combination of attributes that uniquely identify each individual tuple (row) in a relation (table). When there are multiple possibilities for keys in a relation, they are referred to as "candidate keys". These candidate keys are considered for selection as the primary key, which will ultimately be chosen as the main identifier for the relation.

Therefore, the etymology of "candidate key" reflects the concept of identifying potential choices for the primary key in a relational database.

Plural form of CANDIDATE KEY is CANDIDATE KEYS