Intertable

Intertable is a term used in information technology to describe the coordination of data that resides in separate database tables. It denotes the interfaces, constraints, and predicates that define how rows in one table relate to rows in another. The concept appears in discussions of database design, data integration, and reporting as a way to characterize the linkage mechanisms that enable cross-table queries while preserving data integrity.

An intertable relationship is typically implemented with foreign keys, join predicates, and referential constraints. It supports one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many patterns, and may be enforced by cascade actions and transactional guarantees. Intertable design also covers naming conventions, default values for cross-table fields, and normalization strategies that minimize redundancy while preserving efficient access paths.

Common intertable operations include intertable joins, where predicates link tables in a query, and intertable projections that select fields across related tables. In data warehousing and analytics, intertable structures enable dimensional modeling, with fact and dimension tables connected by intertable keys. In data integration, standardized intertable interfaces allow data from different sources to be combined while maintaining referential integrity.

Example: a Customers table with customer_id and name, and an Orders table with order_id, customer_id, and amount, use customer_id as an intertable key linking each order to its customer. Consistent updates to the Customers table propagate to related Orders via defined constraints, preventing orphaned records and enabling coherent reporting of customer activity.

See also: foreign key, join, relational database, normalization, data integration.