Create MySQL table without Primary Key

Question

I have a table that does not require a primary key. It consists of 4 columns which are email,date,time,message. Each time a user logs in, logs out, or does any particular action that is important, I log the email, date, time and action (message). Currently the table is setup with email as the Primary Key but I am unable to insert more than one record with the same email. I suppose I could use time as the PK but there is the possibility that two actions fall on the same time. How can I just use the table without a PK? I have tried turning it off for the email column but it does not allow me to.

Answer 1

Yes as you have defined email field as your primary, it can hold unique data only and no duplication allowed.

So you have two options:

1: Remove email field as a primary key

2: Add new integer field as a Primary key with auto increment (I would prefer this one)

Answer 2

You could use a natural primary key that would be a combination of Email + Date + Time + Action. That combination would be unique. It is impossible for the same user to do 2 different actions at the same time. That will help you to keep integrity of your information.

Hope this helps you.

Answer 3

To make a decision on a table' primary key one may start with considering these points (applicable to innodb):

1. How the data is going to be accessed after it is written (if you don't query it, why store it?). If you care about read performance you should query your data by the primary key, since for innodb primary key is the only possible clustered index.

2. The data is stored ordered by the primary key, so if you care about write performance, you should write data ideally ordered by your primary key, which always happens automatically if you have an auto_increment. Also table for which you don't explicitly specify a primary key are going to have a hidden auto_increment field which you won't be able to access, ie you get less for the same cost.