Question

I need to create database for SQL Server, what kind of naming convention I should use?

1) Table names could be : customer, Customer, CUSTOMER

2) Field names could be : customer_id, CustomerId, CustomerID, CUSTOMER_ID, customerid, CUSTOMERID and so on…

Is there any official suggestion for naming conventions or what is most common way to name tables and fields?

Answer 1

There are a lot of different and differing standards – pick the one that makes most sense to you and then stick to it – that’s the most important part. Have a standard and live up to it!

Things to consider are:

• naming the tables – singular (Customer) vs. plural (Customers)
• naming the tables – with or without prefix, and if with: what prefix? (Customer vs. tblCustomer vs. T_Customer vs. something else entirely)

• naming of columns – any defaults? E.g. ID for the primary key? Or CustomerID?

• naming of other database objects like views (CustomerView vs. vwCustomers), stored procedures (just be sure to avoid sp_ as your prefix! Reserved by Microsoft), user-defined functions (GetData vs. fnGetData vs. func_GetData)

There’s no “official best practice” on this – different standards suggestions have their merits, but you’re basically free in choosing what you want to use for your own company / your own doings.

Just google or bing for “sql server naming conventions” and you’ll find a gazillion of different standards. Pick the one you’re most comfortable with, or come up with your own.