Link vs. Association — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on January 6, 2024
In computing, a 'Link' refers to a connection between elements, typically in a network. An 'Association' indicates a relationship or connection between entities, often used in database design or object-oriented programming.
Difference Between Link and Association
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A 'Link' in computing represents a connecting element between different entities, enabling navigation or data exchange. It's commonly used in networks to join devices or web pages via hyperlinks, facilitating interaction.
In contrast, an 'Association' signifies a relationship or connection between distinct entities or objects. This term is frequently used in database modeling or object-oriented programming to illustrate connections between classes or tables.
Technically, a 'Link' is a reference or path connecting different components, allowing seamless traversal or access across systems, web pages, or software modules.
Meanwhile, an 'Association' conveys the connection or relationship between entities, emphasizing the nature and behavior of their interaction within a system or model.
A 'Link' establishes direct or indirect connections between nodes or resources, facilitating communication or access across networks or systems.
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Conversely, an 'Association' defines relationships or interactions between entities, offering a structured means to represent connections in databases or object-oriented systems.
Comparison Chart
Context
Refers to connections in networks or between elements
Represents relationships or connections between entities
Application
Utilized in web pages, networks, or software modules
Commonly employed in database design or object-oriented code
Functionality
Enables navigation or data exchange
Defines relationships and connections between distinct entities
Usage
Facilitates access or interaction
Models connections or relationships within systems
Representation
Connects elements directly or indirectly
Describes relationships or interactions between entities
Compare with Definitions
Link
A connection between web pages or resources.
The hyperlink serves as a link to the related article.
Association
A relationship between database entities.
The association between tables defines data connections.
Link
Forms connections in computer networks.
The link between servers enhances data flow.
Association
Models interactions between objects.
The class association depicts inheritance in programming.
Link
Enables seamless access between modules.
The software employs a link for module integration.
Association
Signifies relationships between entities.
The association classifies customer-product connections.
Link
Connects elements for data exchange.
The link between databases enables data synchronization.
Association
Represents connections in systems.
The association links various components in the system.
Link
Facilitates navigation between nodes.
Clicking on the link directs to the homepage.
Association
Defines interactions within models.
The association clarifies object dependencies.
Link
One of the rings or loops forming a chain.
Association
The act of associating or being connected with
My parents disapproved of my association with my friends from across town.
Link
A unit in a connected series of units
Links of sausage.
One link in a molecular chain.
Association
An organized body of people who have an interest, activity, or purpose in common; a society.
Link
A unit in a transportation or communications system.
Association
A mental connection or relation between thoughts, feelings, ideas, or sensations
My therapist helped me examine my association of food with comfort.
Link
A connecting element; a tie or bond
Grandparents, our link with the past.
Association
The act of expressing a link or connection between two things
"The media's association of visa overstayers with illegality is so strong and common as to shape public attitudes towards them" (Junya Morooka).
Link
An association; a relationship
The Alumnae Association is my link to the school's present administration.
Association
A correlation or causal connection
There is a definite association of exercise with improved health.
Link
A causal, parallel, or reciprocal relationship; a correlation
Researchers have detected a link between smoking and heart disease.
Association
(Chemistry) Any of various processes of combination, such as hydration, solvation, or complex-ion formation, depending on relatively weak chemical bonding.
Link
A cufflink.
Association
(Ecology) A large number of organisms in a specific geographic area constituting a community with one or two dominant species.
Link
A unit of length used in surveying, equal to 0.01 chain, 7.92 inches, or about 20.12 centimeters.
Association
(uncountable) The act of associating.
Link
A rod or lever transmitting motion in a machine.
Association
(countable) The state of being associated; a connection to or an affiliation with something.
Link
(Computers)A graphical item or segment of text in a webpage or other electronic document that, when clicked, causes another webpage or section of the same webpage to be displayed
That newspaper's homepage includes links to numerous government resources. Also called hotlink, hyperlink.
Association
(statistics) Any relationship between two measured quantities that renders them statistically dependent (but not necessarily causal or a correlation).
Link
A torch formerly used for lighting one's way in the streets.
Association
A group of persons associated for a common purpose; an organization; society.
Link
To put together physically, as with links
Linked the rings to form a chain.
Association
(object-oriented programming) Relationship between classes of objects that allows one object instance to cause another to perform an action on its behalf.
Link
To connect, relate, or associate
Linked the suspect to the crime.
Association
A benevolent overseas Chinese organization of popular origin for overseas Chinese individuals with the same surname or trade or business.
Link
To make or have a link to (another webpage or electronic document)
The blog links important news stories from across the web.
Association
The act of associating, or state of being associated; union; connection, whether of persons of things.
Self-denial is a kind of holy association with God.
Link
To make a link in (a webpage or electronic document)
The teacher linked the class website to an online map.
Association
Mental connection, or that which is mentally linked or associated with a thing.
Words . . . must owe their powers association.
Why should . . . the holiest words, with all their venerable associations, be profaned?
Link
To be or become joined together physically
The molecules linked to form a polymer.
Association
Union of persons in a company or society for some particular purpose; as, the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a benevolent association. Specifically, as among the Congregationalists, a society, consisting of a number of ministers, generally the pastors of neighboring churches, united for promoting the interests of religion and the harmony of the churches.
Link
To be or become connected, related, or associated
Their business has linked up with ours.
Association
A formal organization of people or groups of people;
He joined the Modern Language Association
Link
To make or have a link to a webpage or electronic document
The shocking news story was linked to by many blogs. The article linked to photos of the damage.
Association
The act of consorting with or joining with others;
You cannot be convicted of criminal guilt by association
Link
To follow a link in a webpage or electronic document
With a click of the mouse, I linked to the museum's website.
Association
The state of being connected together as in memory or imagination;
His association of his father with being beaten was too strong to break
Link
A connection between places, people, events, things, or ideas.
The mayor’s assistant serves as the link to the media.
Association
A social or business relationship;
A valuable financial affiliation
He was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team
Many close associations with England
Link
One element of a chain or other connected series.
The third link of the silver chain needs to be resoldered.
The weakest link.
Association
The process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination;
Conditioning is a form of learning by association
Link
Abbreviation of hyperlink
The link on the page points to the sports scores.
Association
A relation resulting from interaction or dependence;
Flints were found in association with the prehistoric remains of the bear
The host is not always injured by association with a parasite
Link
(computing) The connection between buses or systems.
A by-N-link is composed of N lanes.
Association
(chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding
Link
(mathematics) A space comprising one or more disjoint knots.
Association
(ecology) a group of organisms (plants and animals) that live together in a certain geographical region and constitute a community with a few dominant species
Link
(figurative) an individual person or element in a system
Link
Anything doubled and closed like a link of a chain.
Link
A sausage that is not a patty.
Link
(kinematics) Any one of the several elementary pieces of a mechanism, such as the fixed frame, or a rod, wheel, mass of confined liquid, etc., by which relative motion of other parts is produced and constrained.
Link
(engineering) Any intermediate rod or piece for transmitting force or motion, especially a short connecting rod with a bearing at each end; specifically (in steam engines) the slotted bar, or connecting piece, to the opposite ends of which the eccentric rods are jointed, and by means of which the movement of the valve is varied, in a link motion.
Link
(surveying) The length of one joint of Gunter's chain, being the hundredth part of it, or 7.92 inches, the chain being 66 feet in length.
Link
(chemistry) A bond of affinity, or a unit of valence between atoms; applied to a unit of chemical force or attraction.
Link
(in the plural) The windings of a river; the land along a winding stream.
Link
(broadcasting) An introductory cue.
Link
(obsolete) A torch, used to light dark streets.
Link
(transitive) To connect two or more things.
Link
To contain a hyperlink to another page.
My homepage links to my wife's.
Link
To supply (somebody) with a hyperlink; to direct by means of a link.
Haven't you seen his Web site? I'll link you to it.
Link
To post a hyperlink to.
Stop linking those unfunny comics all the time!
Link
(transitive) To demonstrate a correlation between two things.
Link
(compilation) To combine objects generated by a compiler into a single executable.
Link
To meet with someone.
Link
To skip or trip along smartly; to go quickly.
Link
A torch made of tow and pitch, or the like.
Link
A single ring or division of a chain.
Link
Hence: Anything, whether material or not, which binds together, or connects, separate things; a part of a connected series; a tie; a bond.
The link of brotherhood, by whichOne common Maker bound me to the kind.
And so by double links enchained themselves in lover's life.
Link
Anything doubled and closed like a link; as, a link of horsehair.
Link
Any one of the several elementary pieces of a mechanism, as the fixed frame, or a rod, wheel, mass of confined liquid, etc., by which relative motion of other parts is produced and constrained.
Link
Any intermediate rod or piece for transmitting force or motion, especially a short connecting rod with a bearing at each end; specifically (Steam Engine), the slotted bar, or connecting piece, to the opposite ends of which the eccentric rods are jointed, and by means of which the movement of the valve is varied, in a link motion.
Link
A bond of affinity, or a unit of valence between atoms; - applied to a unit of chemical force or attraction.
Link
Sausages; - because linked together.
Link
A hill or ridge, as a sand hill, or a wooded or turfy bank between cultivated fields, etc.
Link
A winding of a river; also, the ground along such a winding; a meander; - usually in pl.
The windings or "links" of the Forth above and below Stirling are extremely tortuous.
Link
Sand hills with the surrounding level or undulating land, such as occur along the seashore, a river bank, etc.
Golf may be played on any park or common, but its original home is the "links" or common land which is found by the seashore, where the short close tuft, the sandy subsoil, and the many natural obstacles in the shape of bents, whins, sand holes, and banks, supply the conditions which are essential to the proper pursuit of the game.
Link
Hence, any such piece of ground where golf is played; a golf course.
Link
To connect or unite with a link or as with a link; to join; to attach; to unite; to couple.
All the tribes and nations that composed it [the Roman Empire] were linked together, not only by the same laws and the same government, but by all the facilities of commodious intercourse, and of frequent communication.
Link
To be connected.
No one generation could link with the other.
Link
The means of connection between things linked in series
Link
A fastener that serves to join or link;
The walls are held together with metal links placed in the wet mortar during construction
Link
The state of being connected;
The connection between church and state is inescapable
Link
A connecting shape
Link
A unit of length equal to 1/100 of a chain
Link
(computing) an instruction that connects one part of a program or an element on a list to another program or list
Link
A channel for communication between groups;
He provided a liaison with the guerrillas
Link
A two-way radio communication system (usually microwave); part of a more extensive telecommunication network
Link
An interconnecting circuit between two or more locations for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data
Link
Make a logical or causal connection;
I cannot connect these two pieces of evidence in my mind
Colligate these facts
I cannot relate these events at all
Link
Connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces;
Can you connect the two loudspeakers?
Tie the ropes together
Link arms
Link
Be or become joined or united or linked;
The two streets connect to become a highway
Our paths joined
The travelers linked up again at the airport
Link
Link with or as with a yoke;
Yoke the oxen together
Common Curiosities
How does it differ from a link in databases?
Associations in databases define relationships between tables, representing connections between data.
Does it facilitate navigation in networks?
Yes, links allow navigation between different nodes or resources in a network.
What's its significance in modeling?
Associations in modeling depict how entities or objects interact or relate to each other.
Can it establish connections between software modules?
Yes, links can connect various software modules for seamless integration.
Does it describe connections between real-world entities?
Associations represent real-world relationships or interactions between entities in databases or systems.
How is it utilized in web development?
Links in web development connect web pages, enabling navigation between them.
Where is it primarily used in software development?
Associations are fundamental in defining relationships between objects or entities in object-oriented programming.
Can it depict one-to-many relationships?
Yes, associations can model various relationship types, including one-to-many connections between entities.
Can it connect various types of resources?
Yes, links can connect web pages, documents, or any online resource accessible via a URL.
Can a link connect to different types of media?
Yes, links can direct to various media like images, videos, or documents.
How does it differ from inheritance in object-oriented programming?
An association represents a connection between classes, while inheritance depicts the hierarchical relationship between them.
Does it only apply to web-related connections?
No, links can establish connections in networks, software, and databases beyond the web.
Is it essential for website navigation?
Links play a critical role in website navigation, guiding users between pages or resources.
Can it represent complex relationships in databases?
Yes, associations in databases can illustrate complex relationships between data entities.
Is it limited to connecting digital resources?
No, links can also be physical, connecting hardware components or systems in networks.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
