createandlink

Createandlink is a descriptive term used in software engineering for an operation that creates a new entity and immediately establishes a relationship to one or more existing entities. It is not a formal standard but a design pattern found across databases, APIs, and content management systems, emphasizing both creation and association in a single action.

In relational databases, createandlink typically involves inserting a new row and setting one or more foreign keys, often within a single transaction to preserve atomicity. In graph databases, it may mean creating a new node and attaching edges to existing nodes. In content management systems, it can describe a workflow where a new page or item is created and linked to its parent, category, or taxonomy.

Common considerations include ensuring transactional atomicity, handling failures gracefully, and maintaining referential integrity. Id generation, unique constraints, and cascading effects of deletions must be addressed. Some implementations expose it as a single API call or endpoint, while others expose separate create and link steps that are composed in client code.

Example patterns include: 1) create and link in one operation with foreign key setting; 2) create node and create edge to an existing node in a graph; 3) create a child page and set parent link in a CMS. Naming conventions vary; some prefer explicit endpoints like createAndLink, or separate create and link calls.