Modality in Database Relationships

What does modality refer to in the context of databases and entity relationships?

Answer:

Modality refers to whether a child entity can exist with or without a related instance in the parent entity.

Explanation:

Modality, in the context of databases and entity relationships, refers to whether a child entity can exist independently or if it must always have a related instance in the parent entity. In other words, it determines the relationship between entities, specifically one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. For example, in a database of employees and departments, the modality would determine if an employee can exist without being assigned to a department or if every employee must be associated with a department.

Keywords: modality, child entity, parent entity, entity relationship, one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many