Naming Convention

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Quinn - 04 Mar 2008 17:42 GMT

Where can I find SQL Server 2008 (or 2005) naming convention and coding
practice recommanded by Microsoft?

Thanks

Quinn

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Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP] - 05 Mar 2008 19:57 GMT

I don't think you can (they're neither the best nor the most consistent at
it anyway).

Everyone has their own preferences, and there isn't one "perfect" naming
convention. The most important things are:

(a) the naming convention makes sense to you
(b) those around you can and will adopt it
(c) you stay consistent

For some ideas for formulating your own naming conventions, all you need is
google:

http://groups.google.com/groups/search?q=naming+conventions+group%3Amicrosoft.pu
blic.sqlserver.*

> Where can I find SQL Server 2008 (or 2005) naming convention and coding
> practice recommanded by Microsoft?
>
> Thanks
>
> Quinn

Reply to this Message

Gail Erickson [MS] - 07 Mar 2008 00:37 GMT

>I don't think you can (they're neither the best nor the most consistent at
>it anyway).

That's probably an understatement. Anyway, AFAIK, the only documented
recommendation from MS regarding naming conventions in SQL Server is related
to naming stored procedures. We recommend that you not begin the names of
user-defined stored procedures with sp_. Thisis because that prefix is used
for system stored procedures and can potentially cause conflicts or cause
your stored procedure to never be executed. See
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190669.aspx for details.

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Gail Erickson [MS]
SQL Server Documentation Team
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>I don't think you can (they're neither the best nor the most consistent at
>it anyway).
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>>
>> Quinn

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Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP] - 07 Mar 2008 02:19 GMT

Whoops! Didn't think I'd get caught. :-)

> >I don't think you can (they're neither the best nor the most consistent
> >at it anyway).
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> conflicts or cause your stored procedure to never be executed. See
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190669.aspx for details.

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Ben Nevarez - 06 Mar 2008 07:47 GMT

And to add to Aaron's answer, perhaps you want to take a look at the
AdventureWorks sample databases to see the naming convention and coding
practices used in the database's objects (like tables, indexes, triggers,
stored procedures, etc).

Hope this helps,

Ben Nevarez

> Where can I find SQL Server 2008 (or 2005) naming convention and coding
> practice recommanded by Microsoft?
>
> Thanks
>
> Quinn

Reply to this Message