Attribute in DBMS
An entity is any object or thing that can be distinguished from other objects in a database management system. Entities can be abstract ideas like projects or transactions, or they might be actual things like people, locations, or events. The properties that give additional information about an entity are called attributes. An entity may be an employee in a database used to manage employment data, for instance, and the attributes could be the employee's ID, name, date of birth, address, and pay.
The building blocks of the database schema, attributes, ensure that the data is arranged and accessible effectively, and they are essential to the structure of a database because they specify the kind of data that can be maintained and how it can be updated.
Example
Consider an "Employee" entity in a business's database to illustrate the idea of attributes. The Employee entity's characteristics could consist of:
Employee ID: A special number that each employee has.
Name: The worker's whole name.
Date of Birth: The date of birth of the worker.
Address: Home address of the employee.
Pay: The amount paid to the employee.
In order to facilitate the management and retrieval of employee data, each attribute contains unique information about an employee.
Key in DBMS
Keys are essential components of a relational database architecture in database management systems (DBMS) that are used to uniquely identify tuples (rows) within tables. In the relational database framework, they are essential for creating connections between various columns and tables.
The other explanation
In database management systems, keys are distinct identifiers that set separate individual records within a database table. By enforcing constraints, they guarantee data integrity and create relationships between various tables. These tools enable data connecting, indexing, and searching across tabs. They encourage efficient retrieval, ensure data integrity, and create connections between tables.
These fundamental codes—such as main, foreign, and unique keys—are necessary for organizing and structuring data and for directing precision in information administration. By creating relationships, avoiding duplication, and facilitating accurate data access across tables, they function as codes, such as main, candidate, and foreign keys, and constitute the foundation of organized databases.
Types of Keys in DBMS
There are different types of keys:
1. Super key
2. Candidate Key
3. Primary Key
4. Alternate Key
5. Foreign Key
6. Composite Key
Difference Between Attribute and Key in DBMS
| Sr. no | Attributes | Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The qualities or features of an entity in a database are called attributes. They match the tables column. | To identify access or preserve the integrity of records in a database, Keys are particular characteristics or a combination of characteristics. |
| 2 | They keep information about the entity. | They maintain data integrity, guarantee uniqueness, and create connections between tables. |
| 3 | Every attribute has a data type (string, integer, etc.)and can either allow or prohibit null values. Example: In a table Student, attributes could include Student ID, Name, Age, etc. | Types. Primary Key,2. Candidate Key,3. Foreign Key,4. Alternate Key,5. Composite Key,6. Super Key. |
| 4 | Example: In a table Student, attributes could include Student ID, Name, Age, etc. | Example: Student ID as Primary key, course ID as foreign key. |
