SQL Constraints (2024)

SQL constraints are used to specify rules for data in a table.

SQL Create Constraints

Constraints can be specified when the table is created with the CREATE TABLE statement, or after the table is created with the ALTER TABLE statement.

Syntax

SQL Constraints

SQL constraints are used to specify rules for the data in a table.

Constraints are used to limit the type of data that can go into a table. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data in the table. If there is any violation between the constraint and the data action, the action is aborted.

Constraints can be column level or table level. Column level constraints apply to a column, and table level constraints apply to the whole table.

The following constraints are commonly used in SQL:

  • NOT NULL - Ensures that a column cannot have a NULL value
  • UNIQUE - Ensures that all values in a column are different
  • PRIMARY KEY - A combination of a NOT NULL and UNIQUE. Uniquely identifies each row in a table
  • FOREIGN KEY - Prevents actions that would destroy links between tables
  • CHECK - Ensures that the values in a column satisfies a specific condition
  • DEFAULT - Sets a default value for a column if no value is specified
  • CREATE INDEX - Used to create and retrieve data from the database very quickly

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SQL Constraints (2024)

FAQs

What are the 5 constraints in SQL? ›

Types of SQL Constraints
  • NOT NULL Constraint.
  • UNIQUE Constraint.
  • DEFAULT Constraint.
  • CHECK Constraint.
  • PRIMARY KEY Constraint.
  • FOREIGN KEY Constraint.

How to query constraints in SQL? ›

To find the name of a constraint, you can use the following query: SELECT CONSTRAINT_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA. TABLE_CONSTRAINTS WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'table_name' AND CONSTRAINT_TYPE = 'constraint_type';

How to add constraints in SQL? ›

ADD CONSTRAINT is a SQL command that is used together with ALTER TABLE to add constraints (such as a primary key or foreign key) to an existing table in a SQL database. The basic syntax of ADD CONSTRAINT is: ALTER TABLE table_name ADD CONSTRAINT PRIMARY KEY (col1, col2);

What are unique constraints? ›

A unique constraint is the rule that the values of a key are valid only if they are unique. A key that is constrained to have unique values is called a unique key . A unique constraint is enforced by using a unique index.

What are the 4 main constraints? ›

Every project has to manage four basic constraints: scope, schedule, budget and quality. The success of a project depends on the skills and knowledge of the project manager to take into consideration all these constraints and develop the plans and processes to keep them in balance.

What are the 5 constraints in SQL and how are they useful? ›

SQL Constraints
ConstraintDescription
PRIMARY KEYused to uniquely identify a row
FOREIGN KEYreferences a row in another table
CHECKvalidates condition for new value
DEFAULTset default value if not passed
3 more rows

How to CHECK all constraints in SQL? ›

SELECT CONSTRAINT_NAME, CONSTRAINT_TYPE FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA. TABLE_CONSTRAINTS WHERE TABLE_NAME='student_info'; Note: here, three rows will be displayed since the table has 3 constraints which are the primary key, the check constraint, and the unique constraint.

What is constraint in SQL with example? ›

SQL constraints are used to specify rules for the data in a table. Constraints are used to limit the type of data that can go into a table. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data in the table. If there is any violation between the constraint and the data action, the action is aborted.

What is primary key in SQL? ›

The primary key in SQL is a single, or a group of fields or columns that can uniquely identify a row in a table. Putting it simply, it is a column that accepts unique values for each row.

What is normalization in SQL? ›

Normalization is the process of organizing data in a database. It includes creating tables and establishing relationships between those tables according to rules designed both to protect the data and to make the database more flexible by eliminating redundancy and inconsistent dependency.

What is schema in SQL? ›

What is Schema in SQL? In a SQL database, a schema is a list of logical structures of data. A database user owns the schema, which has the same name as the database manager. As of SQL Server 2005, a schema is an individual entity (container of objects) distinct from the user who constructs the object.

Is CHECK a constraint in SQL? ›

The CHECK constraint is used to limit the value range that can be placed in a column. If you define a CHECK constraint on a column it will allow only certain values for this column.

What is not null in SQL? ›

The NOT NULL constraint enforces a column to not accept NULL values, which means that you cannot insert or update a record without adding a value to this field.

What is a default constraint in SQL? ›

The DEFAULT constraint is used to set a default value for a column. The default value will be added to all new records, if no other value is specified.

Can primary key be NULL? ›

Primary key constraints

NULL values are not allowed. If the column(s) contain NULL values, the system will not add the primary key constraint. See ALTER TABLE statement for more information. A table can have at most one PRIMARY KEY constraint.

What are one of the five types of constraints? ›

In this article, we will briefly explain how to define the following types of constraint and their usage:
  • DEFAULT.
  • CHECK.
  • NOT NULL.
  • UNIQUE KEY.
  • PRIMARY KEY.
  • FOREIGN KEY.
Jan 25, 2022

What is a list of constraints? ›

Constraints are things that limit or put boundaries around your projects. Scope, schedule, and cost are the big three, but risk, quality, resources, regulations, and other factors are also relevant,” explains Alan Zucker, Founder of Project Management Essentials, LLC.

How many SQL constraints are there? ›

There are six main constraints that are commonly used in SQL Server that we will describe deeply with examples within this article and the next one.

What are the 3 main constraints? ›

The three primary constraints that project managers should be familiar with are time, scope, and cost. These are frequently referred to as the triple constraints or the project management triangle.

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