How do you deal with Recursive Relationships N:M, in Database Relational Schema











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When we have a N:M Recursive Relationship what is the best way to create the relational schema?



In various books I searched they analyze recursive relationships of 1:1 and 1:N but for N:M there is almost nothing.



Should I treat it like a new Relationship like we do in traditional N:M non-recursive relationships?



For example in this recursive relationship is it better to:



A.Create a new relationship



INVITE(InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate) - in bold the Primary Keys . In this case they are also foreign keys.



////



B. Include this relationship in the Person Entity



PERSON(Id,Password,InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate).



///



enter image description here










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  • What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:00










  • You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:29















up vote
0
down vote

favorite












When we have a N:M Recursive Relationship what is the best way to create the relational schema?



In various books I searched they analyze recursive relationships of 1:1 and 1:N but for N:M there is almost nothing.



Should I treat it like a new Relationship like we do in traditional N:M non-recursive relationships?



For example in this recursive relationship is it better to:



A.Create a new relationship



INVITE(InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate) - in bold the Primary Keys . In this case they are also foreign keys.



////



B. Include this relationship in the Person Entity



PERSON(Id,Password,InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate).



///



enter image description here










share|improve this question
























  • What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:00










  • You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:29













up vote
0
down vote

favorite









up vote
0
down vote

favorite











When we have a N:M Recursive Relationship what is the best way to create the relational schema?



In various books I searched they analyze recursive relationships of 1:1 and 1:N but for N:M there is almost nothing.



Should I treat it like a new Relationship like we do in traditional N:M non-recursive relationships?



For example in this recursive relationship is it better to:



A.Create a new relationship



INVITE(InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate) - in bold the Primary Keys . In this case they are also foreign keys.



////



B. Include this relationship in the Person Entity



PERSON(Id,Password,InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate).



///



enter image description here










share|improve this question















When we have a N:M Recursive Relationship what is the best way to create the relational schema?



In various books I searched they analyze recursive relationships of 1:1 and 1:N but for N:M there is almost nothing.



Should I treat it like a new Relationship like we do in traditional N:M non-recursive relationships?



For example in this recursive relationship is it better to:



A.Create a new relationship



INVITE(InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate) - in bold the Primary Keys . In this case they are also foreign keys.



////



B. Include this relationship in the Person Entity



PERSON(Id,Password,InviterId,InviteeId,AcceptanceDate,InvitationDate).



///



enter image description here







database database-design relational-database entity-relationship






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edited Nov 10 at 21:02

























asked Nov 10 at 20:40









baskon1

719




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  • What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:00










  • You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:29


















  • What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:00










  • You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
    – philipxy
    Nov 10 at 21:29
















What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
– philipxy
Nov 10 at 21:00




What exactly do you mean by "recursive relationship"--in terms of the state of a database or DBMS--its DDL & table values?
– philipxy
Nov 10 at 21:00












You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
– philipxy
Nov 10 at 21:29




You mean those 2 columns are the columns of a single composite CK (possibly a PK). And if two people can have more than one commitment then that CK has more columns.
– philipxy
Nov 10 at 21:29












1 Answer
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Definitions are recursive, not relationships/associations. You seem to be talking about FK (foreign key) cycles or the special case of that where a FK references its own table. A FK constraint says values appear elsewhere as PK/UNIQUE. Alternatively, that values that satisfy one relationship satisfy another in just one way. There's nothing special about this from a relational design standpoint. Most SQL DBMSs are needlessly poor when the explicit/declared FK graph is not a tree.



Whether you could or should combine your tables depends on the information modeling & database design method you are using plus relational database design principles. There are many different "traditions". Find & follow a published academic textbook on information modeling, the relational model & database design. (Dozens are free online, also slides & courses.) PS Information & manuals on a tool to manage designs does not constitute an introduction on how to design.



The diagram you give is a Chen original true pure ER (entity relationship) diagram. Under that method you can't combine your entity & relationship into a relationship because an entity needs to have its own box & table. But you could in the relational model & in pseudo-ER methods & products that don't use diamonds in their diagrams & in methods that allow more choice in mapping from Chen diagrams.






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    Definitions are recursive, not relationships/associations. You seem to be talking about FK (foreign key) cycles or the special case of that where a FK references its own table. A FK constraint says values appear elsewhere as PK/UNIQUE. Alternatively, that values that satisfy one relationship satisfy another in just one way. There's nothing special about this from a relational design standpoint. Most SQL DBMSs are needlessly poor when the explicit/declared FK graph is not a tree.



    Whether you could or should combine your tables depends on the information modeling & database design method you are using plus relational database design principles. There are many different "traditions". Find & follow a published academic textbook on information modeling, the relational model & database design. (Dozens are free online, also slides & courses.) PS Information & manuals on a tool to manage designs does not constitute an introduction on how to design.



    The diagram you give is a Chen original true pure ER (entity relationship) diagram. Under that method you can't combine your entity & relationship into a relationship because an entity needs to have its own box & table. But you could in the relational model & in pseudo-ER methods & products that don't use diamonds in their diagrams & in methods that allow more choice in mapping from Chen diagrams.






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      0
      down vote













      Definitions are recursive, not relationships/associations. You seem to be talking about FK (foreign key) cycles or the special case of that where a FK references its own table. A FK constraint says values appear elsewhere as PK/UNIQUE. Alternatively, that values that satisfy one relationship satisfy another in just one way. There's nothing special about this from a relational design standpoint. Most SQL DBMSs are needlessly poor when the explicit/declared FK graph is not a tree.



      Whether you could or should combine your tables depends on the information modeling & database design method you are using plus relational database design principles. There are many different "traditions". Find & follow a published academic textbook on information modeling, the relational model & database design. (Dozens are free online, also slides & courses.) PS Information & manuals on a tool to manage designs does not constitute an introduction on how to design.



      The diagram you give is a Chen original true pure ER (entity relationship) diagram. Under that method you can't combine your entity & relationship into a relationship because an entity needs to have its own box & table. But you could in the relational model & in pseudo-ER methods & products that don't use diamonds in their diagrams & in methods that allow more choice in mapping from Chen diagrams.






      share|improve this answer

























        up vote
        0
        down vote










        up vote
        0
        down vote









        Definitions are recursive, not relationships/associations. You seem to be talking about FK (foreign key) cycles or the special case of that where a FK references its own table. A FK constraint says values appear elsewhere as PK/UNIQUE. Alternatively, that values that satisfy one relationship satisfy another in just one way. There's nothing special about this from a relational design standpoint. Most SQL DBMSs are needlessly poor when the explicit/declared FK graph is not a tree.



        Whether you could or should combine your tables depends on the information modeling & database design method you are using plus relational database design principles. There are many different "traditions". Find & follow a published academic textbook on information modeling, the relational model & database design. (Dozens are free online, also slides & courses.) PS Information & manuals on a tool to manage designs does not constitute an introduction on how to design.



        The diagram you give is a Chen original true pure ER (entity relationship) diagram. Under that method you can't combine your entity & relationship into a relationship because an entity needs to have its own box & table. But you could in the relational model & in pseudo-ER methods & products that don't use diamonds in their diagrams & in methods that allow more choice in mapping from Chen diagrams.






        share|improve this answer














        Definitions are recursive, not relationships/associations. You seem to be talking about FK (foreign key) cycles or the special case of that where a FK references its own table. A FK constraint says values appear elsewhere as PK/UNIQUE. Alternatively, that values that satisfy one relationship satisfy another in just one way. There's nothing special about this from a relational design standpoint. Most SQL DBMSs are needlessly poor when the explicit/declared FK graph is not a tree.



        Whether you could or should combine your tables depends on the information modeling & database design method you are using plus relational database design principles. There are many different "traditions". Find & follow a published academic textbook on information modeling, the relational model & database design. (Dozens are free online, also slides & courses.) PS Information & manuals on a tool to manage designs does not constitute an introduction on how to design.



        The diagram you give is a Chen original true pure ER (entity relationship) diagram. Under that method you can't combine your entity & relationship into a relationship because an entity needs to have its own box & table. But you could in the relational model & in pseudo-ER methods & products that don't use diamonds in their diagrams & in methods that allow more choice in mapping from Chen diagrams.







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        edited Nov 10 at 21:23

























        answered Nov 10 at 21:01









        philipxy

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