Choosing the Right Foreign Key Placement in One-to-One Database Relationships
A technical guide on DEV Community explores where to place foreign keys when splitting a database table into two via vertical partitioning. The article compares three design options using a books-and-content example: placing the foreign key in the child table, placing it in the parent table, or using a separate versioning structure. In the first design, book_contents references books, making content optional and automatically deleted when a book is removed. In the second design, books references book_contents, requiring content to exist before a book can be created. Each approach defines different data dependencies and application responsibilities, making the choice dependent on specific business requirements.
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