| Goal | Find surrogate key columns that do not have an associated sequence generator. Surrogate key values must be generated by using the system (the sequence generator mechanism in case of PostgreSQL). If there are no sequence generators, then there is a question as to whether there are no surrogate keys in the database at all (could be possible and OK) or (more probable) developers have forgotten to implement the generation of surrogate keys. |
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| Notes | The query assumes that each surrogate key column has a prefix or a suffix "ID", it has an integer type, and the key consist of only one column. For instance, the column name could be person_id or id_person. The query also assumes that there is enough to have at most one surrogate key in a table, i.e., that the table should have no other surrogate keys. The query takes into account both external and internal (are created as the result of declaring a column as the identity column) sequence generators. The query takes into account a possibility that a column may be associated with a sequence generator through a domain. |
| Type | Problem detection Each row in the result could represent a flaw in the design |
| Reliability | Medium Medium number of false-positive results |
| License | MIT (opens in new tab) |
| Fixing Suggestion | Associate a sequence generator with the column. If the column values must be registered by a user, then rename the column (replace "id" with "code" or "kood" (in Estonian)). |
| Data Source | INFORMATION_SCHEMA+system catalog |
| SQL Query |
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Collections
This query belongs to the following collections:
Find problems about base tables
A selection of queries that return information about the data types, field sizes, default values as well as general structure of base tables. Contains all the types of queries - problem detection, software measure, and general overview
Find problems automatically
Queries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Find problems about base tables | A selection of queries that return information about the data types, field sizes, default values as well as general structure of base tables. Contains all the types of queries - problem detection, software measure, and general overview |
| Find problems automatically | Queries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not . |
Categories
This query is classified under the following categories:
Comfortability of data management
Queries of this category provide information about the means that have been used to make the use or management of database more comfortable and thus, more efficient.
Result quality depends on names
Queries of this category use names (for instance, column names) to try to guess the meaning of a database object. Thus, the goodness of names determines the number of false positive and false negative results.
Sequence generators
Queries of this category provide information about sequence generators and their usage.
Validity and completeness
Queries of this category provide information about whether database design represents the world (domain) correctly (validity) and whether database design captures all the information about the world (domain) that is correct and relevant (completeness).
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Comfortability of data management | Queries of this category provide information about the means that have been used to make the use or management of database more comfortable and thus, more efficient. |
| Result quality depends on names | Queries of this category use names (for instance, column names) to try to guess the meaning of a database object. Thus, the goodness of names determines the number of false positive and false negative results. |
| Sequence generators | Queries of this category provide information about sequence generators and their usage. |
| Validity and completeness | Queries of this category provide information about whether database design represents the world (domain) correctly (validity) and whether database design captures all the information about the world (domain) that is correct and relevant (completeness). |