DependentResourceType

DependentResourceType is a term used in data modeling and API design to describe a resource type whose existence and lifecycle are tied to another resource type, referred to as the parent. A dependent resource cannot meaningfully exist without a parent; its identity or attributes often include the parent's identifier. Commonly, dependent resources are modeled as nested or child resources in RESTful APIs, and as child entities in relational databases.

Relationships: Depending on design, deletion of a parent may cascade to delete dependents, or may be restricted to prevent orphaned records. Ownership implies that the parent controls creation, modification, and deletion of dependents. The dependent resource may have a one-to-many relationship with its parent (for example, a post has many comments) or a one-to-one relationship (for example, a user profile linked to a user).

Identity and access: The key for a dependent resource may be composite, combining the parent's key with a local identifier. Access patterns typically require the parent resource path to reach dependents (for example, /parents/{parentId}/dependents).

Examples: In a content platform, comments are often modeled as a dependent resource type of posts. In infrastructure as code, a network interface may be a dependent resource of a server instance.

Design considerations: decide whether to model as nested resources or independent resources with explicit foreign keys, evaluate performance and consistency, and define lifecycle and cascading rules clearly. Related terms include parent resource, child resource, composition, and referential integrity.