Alex Rivera | Logout

What is the best practice for naming database tables to provide natural organization?

Asked 2008-10-24T19:13:14.797
12

We put common prefixes on related tables to assure they display next to each other in our DB management software (Toad, Enterprise Manager, etc).

So for example, all user tables start with the word User:

  • User
  • UserEvent
  • UserPurchase

Ideally, in honor of the three great virtues of a programmer these tables should be named User, Event, Purchase respectively to save some typing, agreed?

Is this naming convention the best (only?) practice for grouping related tables together naturally?

mysql database database-design
Edit
Report

1 Answer

3

I guess that the naming convention in SQL is or at least should follow the same guidelines as used in other programming languages. I have always preferred variable names / class name that clearly identified the purpose and that usually means more typing. I think the importent thing to remember is that code is only written once but read a lot of times, so clarity is vital. The last 4 or 5 years I have noticed that the variable names have grown from "eDS" to "employeeDataSet" and I think that IntelliSense is the main reason for that. I think we will see the same happen in SQL since Red Gate SQL Prompt and now MS SQL2008 have introduced Intellisense into the mainstrem database world.

answered 2008-10-24T20:48:47.710

Your Answer