Fig. 3.13 Deriving a 1:N (one:many) relationship.
A word of warning is useful here. In order to obtain the correct degree for a relationship type (one-one or one-many or many-many) you must ask two questions. Both questions mustbegin with the word `one'. In the present case (Fig. 3.13), the two questions you would ask when drawing in the relationship line and deciding on its degree would be:
Question 1: One customer received how many invoices? Answer: Zero or more.
Question 2: One invoice was sent to how many customers? Answer: One.
This warning is based on observations of many student database designers getting the degree of relationship types wrong. The usual cause of error is only asking one question and not starting with the word 'one'. For example a student might say (incorrectly): 'Many customers receive many invoices' (which is true) and wrongly conclude that the relationship type is many-many. The second most common source of error is either to fail to name the relationship type and say something like 'Customer to Invoice is one-to-many' (which is meaningless) or give the relationship type an inappropriate name.
3.6.2.3 Deriving a Many-Many relationship type
Fig. 3.14 gives an example of a many-many relationship type being derived.