severak
2.1.2018 09:11:36
SQL Keys in Depth
The internet is full of dogmatic commandments for choosing and using keys in relational databases. At times it verges on a holy war: should you use natural or artificial keys? Auto-incrementing integers, UUIDs?
After wading through sixty-four articles, skimming sections in five books, and asking questions on IRC and StackOverflow I think I’ve put the pieces together and have a recommendation to harmonize the various camps. Many arguments about keys boil down to false dichotomies and failures to acknowledge other points of view.