Foreign key

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In the context of relational databases, a foreign key is a referential constraint between two tables.^[1]

A foreign key is a field in a relational table that matches a candidate key of another table. The foreign key can be used to cross-reference tables.

For example, say we have two tables, a CUSTOMER table that includes all customer data, and an ORDERS table that includes all customer orders. The intention here is that all orders must be associated with a customer that is already in the CUSTOMER table. To do this, we will place a foreign key in the ORDERS table and have it relate to the primary key of the CUSTOMER table.

The foreign key identifies a column or set of columns in one (referencing) table that refers to a column or set of columns in another (referenced) table. The columns in the referencing table must reference the columns of the primary key or other superkey in the referenced table. The values in one row of the referencing columns must occur in a single row in the referenced table. Thus, a row in the referencing table cannot contain values that don't exist in the referenced table (except potentially NULL). This way references can be made to link information together and it is an essential part of database normalization. Multiple rows in the referencing table may refer to the same row in the referenced table. Most of the time, it reflects the one (parent table or referenced table) to many (child table, or referencing table) relationship.

The referencing and referenced table may be the same table, i.e. the foreign key refers back to the same table. Such a foreign key is known in SQL:2003 as a self-referencing or recursive foreign key.