angel
angel

Reputation: 13

Binary vs Ternary relationship in databases

I am having a really hard time trying to understand why whenever possible a binary relationship is better choice than a ternary relationship. I'm at a beginner level in databases and I would really appreciate it if you could explain it with a simple example

Upvotes: 0

Views: 3807

Answers (1)

reaanb
reaanb

Reputation: 10064

Use what is appropriate to model the situation. I see no reason to avoid ternary relationships.

An example of a binary relationship:

Suppliers supply products. Each supplier can supply multiple products. Different suppliers can supply the same product.

Binary relationship

An example of a ternary relationship:

Suppliers distribute products in various regions. Any supplier can distribute any product in any region.

Ternary relationship

Upvotes: 3

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