Multiple Primary Keys

[Mike]

Hello,

Can I have 2 primary keys where Access requires that they
are both not the same. For example...

Field1 Field2
a 1
a 2
b 2

Would all be acceptable?

Thanks

 

[Rick B]

Yes,

In table design view, click the frst field, hold down the CTRL key and click
the second. They should both be highlighted. Click the "key" icon.

To change the properties of your new compound key, or just to see them, go
to the View menu and select 'Indexes'.

Hope that helps,

Rick b


Hello,

Can I have 2 primary keys where Access requires that they
are both not the same. For example...

Field1 Field2
a 1
a 2
b 2

Would all be acceptable?

Thanks

 

[Van T. Dinh]

Note also that Rick described the *multi-Field* PrimaryKey, not 2 separate
PrimaryKeys. Each Table can only have at most 1 PrimaryKey.

HTH
Van T. Dinh
MVP (Access)

 

[Guest]

Shoot, here's what I forgot to explain. I would really
like multiple keys with referential integrity. I should
have said that in the original post. My bad.
Mike

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

You can only enforce RI at engine level using the Primary Key.

 

[John Vinson]

You can only enforce RI at engine level using the Primary Key.

correct... but a Primary Key can consist of one to ten fields.

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Yes, but I took the latest answer to mean he wanted to cascade on more than
one index (as opposed to field).

Prinary Key is really an Index as opposed to a field.

 

[Craig Alexander Morrison]

Actually John, I think you can enforce RI at the engine level on any unique
index (simple or compound), it seems to work in both 97 and 2002/2003.

Well I never!

Apologies for my error in assumption. I've been using various versions of
access since 1992, and a wee bit before then - this is the first time I
tried it.

Mind you I have never needed it.

Oooops! Sorry for the misleading information.