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mysqlforeign-keys

MySQL Error 1215: Cannot add foreign key constraint


I am trying to forward engineer my new schema onto my database server, but I get this error.

Everything I've found has said to either set the database engine to InnoDB or to make sure the keys I'm trying to use as a foreign key are primary keys in their own tables. I have done these things.

What else can I do?

Executing SQL script in server

ERROR: Error 1215: Cannot add foreign key constraint

-- -----------------------------------------------------
-- Table `Alternative_Pathways`.`Clients_has_Staff`
-- -----------------------------------------------------
CREATE  TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Alternative_Pathways`.`Clients_has_Staff` (
  `Clients_Case_Number` INT NOT NULL ,
  `Staff_Emp_ID` INT NOT NULL ,
  PRIMARY KEY (`Clients_Case_Number`, `Staff_Emp_ID`) ,
  INDEX `fk_Clients_has_Staff_Staff1_idx` (`Staff_Emp_ID` ASC) ,
  INDEX `fk_Clients_has_Staff_Clients_idx` (`Clients_Case_Number` ASC) ,
  CONSTRAINT `fk_Clients_has_Staff_Clients`
    FOREIGN KEY (`Clients_Case_Number` )
    REFERENCES `Alternative_Pathways`.`Clients` (`Case_Number` )
    ON DELETE NO ACTION
    ON UPDATE NO ACTION,
  CONSTRAINT `fk_Clients_has_Staff_Staff1`
    FOREIGN KEY (`Staff_Emp_ID` )
    REFERENCES `Alternative_Pathways`.`Staff` (`Emp_ID` )
    ON DELETE NO ACTION
    ON UPDATE NO ACTION)
ENGINE = InnoDB

SQL script execution finished: statements: 7 succeeded, 1 failed

SQL for the parent tables:

CREATE  TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Alternative_Pathways`.`Clients` (
  `Case_Number` INT NOT NULL ,
  `First_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  `Middle_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  `Last_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  `Address` CHAR(50) NULL ,
  `Phone_Number` INT(10) NULL ,
  PRIMARY KEY (`Case_Number`) )
ENGINE = InnoDB

CREATE  TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Alternative_Pathways`.`Staff` (
  `Emp_ID` INT NOT NULL ,
  `First_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  `Middle_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  `Last_Name` CHAR(10) NULL ,
  PRIMARY KEY (`Emp_ID`) )
ENGINE = InnoDB

Solution

  • I'm guessing that Clients.Case_Number and/or Staff.Emp_ID are not exactly the same data type as Clients_has_Staff.Clients_Case_Number and Clients_has_Staff.Staff_Emp_ID.

    Perhaps the columns in the parent tables are INT UNSIGNED?

    They need to be exactly the same data type in both tables.