Simple summary Keys are in Dynamics AX
There is a maximum of one
Primary Key
per table, whereas a table can have severalalternate keys
. Theprimary key
is usually the type of key that other tables, called child tables, refer to when aforeign key
field in those other tables need a relational identifier.For new tables the default is a
primary key
based on theRecId
field , incremented number or a completely meaningless number that is generated by the systemsurrogate key
.As The RecId data type,
surrogate keys
exist on a primary key table. As The RefRecId ETD, surrogate foreign keys exist on a foreign key table (Ex:Party
field is onCustTable
Table).Alternate key
can be chosen as theReplacement Key
of a table that can display on forms instead of a meaningless numericprimary key
value. Each table can have a maximum of onereplacement key
.Natural key
has meaning to people. A set of fields that uniquely identify a record and would have formed the primary key of the table, if not for the existence of asurrogate key
.Relations represents a
foreign key
.
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