Keys Append Method, Key Type, RelatedColumn, RelatedTable and UpdateRule Properties Example (VB)

The following code demonstrates how to create a new foreign key. It assumes two tables (Customers and Orders) exist.

' BeginCreateKeyVB
Sub Main()
    On Error GoTo CreateKeyError

    Dim kyForeign As New ADOX.Key
    Dim cat As New ADOX.Catalog

    ' Connect the catalog
    cat.ActiveConnection = "Provider='Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0';" & _
        "Data Source='Northwind.mdb';"
    
    ' Define the foreign key
    kyForeign.Name = "CustOrder"
    kyForeign.Type = adKeyForeign
    kyForeign.RelatedTable = "Customers"
    kyForeign.Columns.Append "CustomerId"
    kyForeign.Columns("CustomerId").RelatedColumn = "CustomerId"
    kyForeign.UpdateRule = adRICascade
    
    ' Append the foreign key
    cat.Tables("Orders").Keys.Append kyForeign
    
    'Delete the Key as this is a demonstration
    cat.Tables("Orders").Keys.Delete kyForeign.Name
    
    'Clean up
    Set cat.ActiveConnection = Nothing
    Set cat = Nothing
    Set kyForeign = Nothing
    Exit Sub
    
CreateKeyError:
    Set cat = Nothing
    Set kyForeign = Nothing
    
    If Err <> 0 Then
        MsgBox Err.Source & "-->" & Err.Description, , "Error"
    End If
    
End Sub
' EndCreateKeyVB

See Also

Append Method (Columns) | Append Method (Keys) | Catalog Object | Column Object | Columns Collection | Key Object | Keys Collection | Name Property | RelatedColumn Property | RelatedTable Property | Table Object | Tables Collection | Type Property (Key) | UpdateRule Property