Answer
Referential integrity ensures foreign keys always refer to valid rows, preventing orphaned records.
Quick Answer
Referential integrity ensures relationships between tables stay valid. A foreign key value in the child table must either match a primary key in the parent table or be NULL. InnoDB enforces this: you can't insert a child row with a non-existent parent, and you can't delete a parent row that child rows reference (unless CASCADE is configured). Maintains data consistency across related tables.
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SugharaIQ Editorial Team
Verified Answer
This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.
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Source: SugharaIQ