Using FOreign key constraints on tables in database.

Question

I am student and novice in the field of ORACLE and PL/SQL and Database Creation. I had created a database consisting tables and got problem while applying foreign key constraints.
CUST_MSTR
CREATE TABLE "DBA_BANKSYS"."CUST_MSTR"("CUST_NO" VARCHAR2(10),
"FNAME" VARCHAR2(25), "MNAME" VARCHAR2(25), "LNAME" VARCHAR2(25),
"DOB_INC" DATE NOT NULL,      "OCCUP" VARCHAR2(25), "PHOTOGRAPH" VARCHAR2(25),
"SIGNATURE" VARCHAR2(25), "PANCOPY" VARCHAR2(1),      "FORM60" VARCHAR2(1));
(CUST_NO is PRIMARY KEY, )
-- EMP_MSTR
CREATE TABLE "DBA_BANKSYS"."EMP_MSTR"("EMP_NO" VARCHAR2(10),
"BRANCH_NO" VARCHAR2(10), "FNAME" VARCHAR2(25), "MNAME" VARCHAR2(25),
"LNAME" VARCHAR2(25), "DEPT" VARCHAR2(30), "DESIG" VARCHAR2(30));
(EMP_NO is primary key )
--NOMINEE_MSTR
CREATE TABLE "DBA_BANKSYS"."NOMINEE_MSTR"("NOMINEE_NO" VARCHAR2(10),
"ACCT_FD_NO" VARCHAR2(10), "NAME" VARCHAR2(75), "DOB" DATE,
RELATIONSHIP" VARCHAR2(25));
(NOMINEE_NO is primary key )
--ADDR_DTLS
CREATE TABLE "DBA_BANKSYS"."ADDR_DTLS"("ADDR_NO" NUMBER(6),
"CODE_NO" VARCHAR2(10),      "ADDR_TYPE" VARCHAR2(1), "ADDR1" VARCHAR2(50),
"ADDR2" VARCHAR2(50), "CITY" VARCHAR2(25), "STATE" VARCHAR2(25),
"PINCODE" VARCHAR2(6));
( ADDR_NO is primary key )
Problem: I want to apply foreign key constraints on ADDR_DTLS table so that Before inserting value in ADDR_DTLS table it must check, VALUE in ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO must be PRESENT either in attribute value CUST_MSTR.CODE_NO or EMP_MSTR.CODE_NO or NOMINEE_MSTR.CODE_NO table .
I applied the foreign key constraints using this syntax
CREATE TABLE "DBA_BANKSYS"."ADDR_DTLS"("ADDR_NO" NUMBER(6),
"CODE_NO" VARCHAR2(10),      "ADDR_TYPE" VARCHAR2(1), "ADDR1" VARCHAR2(50),
"ADDR2" VARCHAR2(50), "CITY" VARCHAR2(25), "STATE" VARCHAR2(25),
"PINCODE" VARCHAR2(6),
constraints fk_add foreign key CODE_NO references CUST_MSTR. CODE_NO,
constraints fk_add1 foreign key CODE_NO references EMP_MSTR. CODE_NO,
constraints fk_add2 foreign key CODE_NO references NOMINEE_MSTR.CODE_NO);
(foreign key)
ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO ->CUST_MSTR.CUST_NO
ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO ->NOMINEE_MSTR.NOMINEE_NO
ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO ->BRANCH_MSTR.BRANCH_NO
ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO ->EMP_MSTR.EMP_NO
When I applied foreign key constraints this way, its gives a error called foreign key constraints violation. (I understand that, its searches the attribute value of ADDR_DTLS.CODE_NO in all the three tables must be present then the value will be inserted. But I want, if the value is in any of the three table then its should insert the value or its gives an error.)
Please help me out, though i put the question and i want too know how to apply the forign key in this way. and is there any other option if foreign key implementation is not pssible.

Answer 1

If you are on 11g you can use ON DELETE SET NULL:
CREATE TABLE addr_dtls
( addr_no          NUMBER(6)  CONSTRAINT addr_pk PRIMARY KEY
, addr_cust_no     CONSTRAINT addr_cust_fk    REFERENCES cust_mstr    ON DELETE SET NULL
, addr_emp_no      CONSTRAINT addr_emp_fk     REFERENCES emp_mstr     ON DELETE SET NULL
, addr_nominee_no  CONSTRAINT addr_nominee_fk REFERENCES nominee_mstr ON DELETE SET NULL
, addr_type        VARCHAR2(1)
, addr1            VARCHAR2(50)
, addr2            VARCHAR2(50)
, city             VARCHAR2(25)
, state            VARCHAR2(25)
, pincode          VARCHAR2(6) );In earlier versions you'll need to code some application logic to do something similar when a parent row is deleted, as otherwise the only options are to delete the dependent rows or raise an error.
btw table names can be up to 30 characters and don't need to end with MSTR or DTLS, so for example CUSTOMERS and ADDRESSES might be more readable than CUST_MSTR and ADDR_DTLS. Also if the Customer/Employee/Nominee PKs are generated from a sequence they should be numeric.
Edited by: William Robertson on Aug 15, 2010 6:47 PM