A way to distinguish between 'Parent' keys and 'Referential' keys

Question

Hi,
We use referencial keys to specify the FK to a parent table and also link to other tables... I need to write a script that needs to distinguish between a 'Parent' key and and a 'Referential' keys. In the database they both look the same, as they are both foreign keys...
What's the easiest way to determine whether a FK is a link to a parent table or a link to an unrelated table..
I hope this question makes sense...
EDIT:
Here's an example of the tables, and a better explanation
CREATE TABLE PARENT_TABLE(
par_id number PRIMARY key,
par_name varchar2(200)
create TABLE RELATED_TABLE(
rel_id number PRIMARY key,
rel_name varchar2(200)
create TABLE CHILD_TABLE(
kid_id PRIMARY key,
kid_name varchar2(200),
par_id,
rel_id,
CONSTRAINT kid_par_fk FOREIGN KEY(par_id) REFERENCES PARENT_TABLE(par_id),
CONSTRAINT kid_rel_fk FOREIGN KEY (rel_id) REFERENCES RELATED_TABLE(rel_id)
)Ok, as you can see the child table has 2 references but no way to tell which one is the parent table.. In our database we have this hirearchy of parent-child tables (where it's one-to-many relationships) where we consider a table a parent of other.. And also we have a ton of other foreign keys that link to related tables (many-to-many) relationships...
Now i need a clean way of distinguishing between PARENT and RELATED table.. A more elegegant solution to a keeping a hierarchy table of parent, child tables.. I'm sure others have this kind of structure..
let me know if there is more clarification needed.. Sorry for the confusion..
Edited by: wonderboy87 on 23-Jan-2011 4:07 PM
Edited by: wonderboy87 on 23-Jan-2011 5:59 PM
Edited by: wonderboy87 on 23-Jan-2011 6:00 PM

Answer 1

wonderboy87 wrote:
Yes sorry.. I can see how consufing this is. Here goes;
CREATE TABLE PARENT_TABLE(
par_id number PRIMARY key,
par_name varchar2(200)
create TABLE RELATED_TABLE(
rel_id number PRIMARY key,
rel_name varchar2(200)
create TABLE CHILD_TABLE(
kid_id PRIMARY key,
kid_name varchar2(200),
par_id,
rel_id,
CONSTRAINT kid_par_fk FOREIGN KEY(par_id) REFERENCES PARENT_TABLE(par_id),
CONSTRAINT kid_rel_fk FOREIGN KEY (rel_id) REFERENCES RELATED_TABLE(rel_id)
)Ok, as you can see the child table has 2 references but no way to tell which one is the parent table.. You are right. There is no way to tell which one is the "parent". It's only your own business rules and usage that make one of the FK relationships to a "parent" while the other is to .. what, an "uncle"? ;-) Oracle has no way of knowing what your business rules and usage are.
In our database we have this hirearchy of parent-child tables (where it's one-to-many relationships) where we consider a table a parent of other.. And also we have a ton of other foreign keys that link to related tables (many-to-many) relationships...
Now i need a clean way of distinguishing between PARENT and RELATED table.. A more elegegant solution to a keeping a hierarchy table of parent, child tables.. I'm sure others have this kind of structure..
let me know if there is more clarification needed.. Sorry for the confusion..
Edited by: wonderboy87 on 23-Jan-2011 6:00 PM