Creating master and detail tables correctly

[SteveSQL]

I am a beginner to creating tables in SQL, although I've accessed them for a few years using Domino. I am writing a payroll ASP.Net application that will use a master and a detail table. It allows someone inhouse to enter all calls that have been done by out technicians. It was supposed to be unique based on a call date, store, etc, as we service retail outlets. Each have a number of columns that make up their primary keys. However, I recently found out that the detail table will have nothing unique in it. They want the user to be able to even input simply gas or toll recipts. The primary key was specifically made up of the cycle, employee no, store, calldate, and project number, but I guess now I will not have a primary key at all in the detail table. I also have the master table generate it's own id, and populates all the asssociated detail records with it as well.

My question is, will it be a problem to have no primary key in the detail table for reporting, etc. Also, I need a unique key for editing purposes in detail, so does it make sense to create a unique generated directly in the detail table as well?

 

[donutman]

The price of adding an identity column in a table is nil. The potential benefit is large. It's extremely easy to delete it later if you don't need it. Need I say more.
-Karl

[red] Cursors, triggers, user-defined functions and dynamic SQL are an axis of evil![/red]
[green]Life's uncertain...eat dessert first...www.deerfieldbakery.com[/green]

 

[SteveSQL]

Thanks donutman. Does it also seem ok to get rid of the primary key I described as well?

 

[donutman]

In order to give you something more than just general advice, I'd have to have a better understanding of your table structure, some sample data and anything else about the project that you can provide.
-Karl

[red] Cursors, triggers, user-defined functions and dynamic SQL are an axis of evil![/red]
[green]Life's uncertain...eat dessert first...www.deerfieldbakery.com[/green]