Reference (many-to-one)

Reference data can be modified separately without getting out of sync if it is referenced to in another entity. In other words, all entities which refer to that data, refer to the same record in the database. This type of relation is characterized by the (...) link on the GUI. For example, there is a list of payments and a separate list of payment types. Each list is can be administered without interference of the other, but there is a link between payments and payment types so that a type can be assigned to a payment. What happens is that in the payment record, a pointer to the unique identification of that type will be made. This means that if the name of that type is modified, the name is updated for all payments which point to that type (as they do not keep a copy of that information stored in their own record).

Figure 191 Schematic

Example: Ordering Customer Account - Static Data link

Table 191 Independent Representation

Figure 192 Many to one