mysql数据库1215_MySQL：ERROR 1215(HY000)：无法添加外键约束

我读过数据库系统概念,第6版,Silberschatz.我将在

MySQL的OS X上实现第2章中所示的大学数据库系统.但是我在创建表课程时遇到了麻烦.表部门看起来像

mysql> select * from department

-> ;

+------------+----------+-----------+

| dept_name | building | budget |

+------------+----------+-----------+

| Biology | Watson | 90000.00 |

| Comp. Sci. | Taylor | 100000.00 |

| Elec. Eng. | Taylor | 85000.00 |

| Finance | Painter | 120000.00 |

| History | Painter | 50000.00 |

| Music | Packard | 80000.00 |

| Physics | Watson | 70000.00 |

+------------+----------+-----------+

mysql> show columns from department

-> ;

+-----------+---------------+------+-----+---------+-------+

| Field | Type | Null | Key | Default | Extra |

+-----------+---------------+------+-----+---------+-------+

| dept_name | varchar(20) | NO | PRI | | |

| building | varchar(15) | YES | | NULL | |

| budget | decimal(12,2) | YES | | NULL | |

+-----------+---------------+------+-----+---------+-------+

创建表课程会导致以下错误.

mysql> create table course

-> (course_id varchar(7),

-> title varchar (50),

-> dept_name varchar(20),

-> credits numeric(2,0),

-> primary key(course_id),

-> foreign key (dept_name) references department);

ERROR 1215 (HY000): Cannot add foreign key constraint

在搜索谷歌的外键约束后,我刚刚得知“外键约束”这个词表示表课程中外键列的数据必须存在于表部门的主键列中.但是在插入数据时我应该遇到这个错误.

如果没有,为什么作者让我执行那个SQL语句？

如果我真的执行了错误的SQL语句,在插入一些数据后,是否必须在课程表中将dept_name指定为外键？

编辑：输入set foreign_key_checks = 0进入mysql>不修复错误.

------------------------

LATEST FOREIGN KEY ERROR

------------------------

2013-09-21 16:02:20 132cbe000 Error in foreign key constraint of table university/course:

foreign key (dept_name) references department):

Syntax error close to:

)

mysql> set foreign_key_checks=0

-> ;

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> create table course

-> (course_id varchar(7),

-> title varchar(50),

-> dept_name varchar(20),

-> credits numeric(2,0),

-> primary key(course_id),

-> foreign key (dept_name) references department);

ERROR 1215 (HY000): Cannot add foreign key constraint