Database Properties for Category to Child and Relationship shapes (Miscellaneous)

Use these options to specify the type of cardinality, whether the relationship is identifying or non-identifying, and whether the relationship is optional.

Note: To display cardinality settings for a model that uses IDEF1X notation, select the Cardinality (IDEF1X) check box on the Relationship tab of the Database Document Options dialog box.

Zero or more

For IDEF1X models, click to specify that zero or more instances of an entity will be related.

One or more

For IDEF1X models, click to specify that at least one instance of an entity will be related.

Zero or one

For IDEF1X models, click to specify that there can be no more than one instance of the entity in this relationship.

Exactly one

For IDEF1X models, click to specify that there is exactly one instance of the entity in this relationship.

Range

For IDEF1X models, click to specify that no less and no more than the number of entity instances shown in the At least and At most boxes, respectively, can be related.

At least  For IDEF1X models, type the minimum number of entity instances that can be related.

At most  For IDEF1X models, type the maximum number of entity instances that can be related.

Identifying

Click to specify an identifying relationship, where the foreign key relationship includes a primary key component in the child table.

Part of the primary key of the child table is also part of the primary key of the parent table.

Non-identifying

Click to specify a non-identifying relationship, where the foreign key relationship does not include a primary key component in the child table.

The part of the parent table primary key that is shared by the child table is not part of the child table primary key.

Optional

Select this check box to specify that NULL values are possible in the connected attribute.

NULL values are only possible if the relationship is non-identifying (not part of a primary key).