Assume you have identified a referential integrity problem with your Microsoft Access database. What could the source of your issue be?

[Select all that apply]

Question

Assume you have identified a referential integrity problem with your Microsoft Access database. What could the source of your issue be?

[Select all that apply]

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: You’re asked to identify sources of a referential integrity problem in an Access database, selecting all that apply. Answer options:
- A field with an auto-number data type is linked or related to a field with a short text datatype
- A field with an auto-number data type is linked or related to a field with a number datatype
- You have a one-to-many (1:M) relationship
- Data for a foreign key in one table is trying to relate to data for a primary key in another table that does not exist
- Your primary key does not appear as a foreign key in another table

Analysis of each option:
Option 1: A field with an auto-number data type is linked or related to a field with a short text datatype. This scenario creates a mismatched data type between the foreign key and the primary key, which is a classic cause of referential integrity violations in Access. Since the foreign key must match the primary key’s data type to enforce referential integrity, using short text for the related field of an AutoNumber (numeric) key would prevent a valid relationship and lead to errors.
Option 2: A field with an auto-number data type is linked or related to a field with a number datatype. Here, both sides are numeric, but the exact data type and size matter. AutoNumber is a specific numeric type (typically Long Integer), and if the related field is a compatible numeric type (e.g., Long Integer or an equivalent integer size), the relationship can be valid. If the number datatype is incompatible (for example, a floating-point type like Double or a mismatched size), you could still encounter a problem. In the general sense, this option is not inherently a guaranteed source of referential integrity violation unless the numeric types do not align, so it is not as clear-cut as option 1.
Option 3: You have a one-to-many (1:M) relationship. Having a 1:M relationship is a common, proper relational design feature and, by itself, does not constitute a referential integrity problem. Problems arise if the foreign key does not correctly reference existing primary key values, not simply because the relationship is 1:M.
Option 4: Data for a foreign key in one table is trying to relate to data for a primary key in another table that does not exist. This is a textbook example of a referential integrity violation: a foreign key value that points to a primary key value that isn’t present in the related table cannot be enforced, leading to orphaned records and integrity issues.
Option 5: Your primary key does not appear as a foreign key in another table. This situation is normal in many designs — a primary key in its own table may not be referenced as a foreign key elsewhere. Absence of the primary key in other tables does not by itself cause referential integrity problems; it only matters if you intend to link to that key. Therefore, this option is not a source of referential integrity problems by itself.

In summary, the most direct sources of referential integrity problems here are Option 1 (datatype mismatch between foreign and primary keys) and Option 4 (foreign key values without corresponding primary key values). Options 2, 3, and 5 do not inherently constitute referential integrity problems given typical relational design considerations, with caveats noted for datatype compatibility in Option 2.

Assume you have identified a referential integrity problem with your Microsoft Access database. What could the source of your issue be? [Select all that apply]

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