Scenario
Let’s take this with a simple example using three tables: Sales, Customers, and Regions.
- Sales: CustomerID, SalesID, Amount
- Customers: RegionID, CustomerID, CustomerName
- Regions: RegionID, SalesID
All three tables are linked by their IDs, which can lead to a circular reference. Specifically:
- The CustomerID connects the Sales and Customers tables.
- The RegionID connects the Customers and Regions tables.
- The SalesID connects the Sales and Regions tables.
How to Resolve Circular References
To resolve circular reference, check your model and remove any relationship that aren’t necessary.
- The CustomerID connects the Sales and Customers tables.
- The RegionID connects the Customers and Regions tables.
Here are additional ways to eliminate circular references:
- Check the Data Model
- Remove Unnecessary Tables or Relationships
- Rename Fields
- Use Concatenation
- Avoid loops [Be Carful with Joins]
- Qualify Field Names
- Create a Bridge Table