04 Try it yourself Interactive

Draw the links, and watch a rule refuse one

Three students, two projects, and the same four attempted links every time: (S1,P1), (S1,P2), (S2,P1), (S3,P2). Pick a cardinality ratio from the tabs and step through them. Each attempt is either drawn or refused, and the narration names the label that decided it. The last two steps switch STUDENT’s participation from partial to total over whatever links survived. Watch attempt 3 in particular: it is legal under M:N and refused under 1:N, which is the constraint doing real work rather than decorating a picture. Nothing plays on its own. Next, Back and Reset, or the arrow keys.

STUDENT 1 : 1 PROJECT
no links yet
The first row of cards is the STUDENT entity set, the second is PROJECT. Each card lists the entities it is currently linked to, so the cards together are the relationship set. Indigo marks the two ends of the attempt being made. The log underneath keeps every attempt, green for drawn and rose for refused.
Press Next to begin. Each press makes one attempt.


      
Attempts made0
Students with a project0 / 3
Links drawn0
Attempts refused0
step 0 / 0