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Almost as bad as prefixing tables with a table-indicator is using plural names. Even Oracle tools default to this... It is just wrong.
A relation constitutes a header and a body. The header (or relational schema) is a set of attribute (column) and domain (value) pairs. The body is the set of tuples (rows). A tuple is a valued occurrence of the header.
Consequently, if you make your table names plural, make your column names plural for consistency.
Less mathematical justifications for using singular tables names include:
Consistency - Because sometimes you need 'es' to pluralize a word.
Consistency - Shouldn't 'ProductOrders' be 'ProductsOrders?'
Just like your mother taught you, just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't make it right.
Tags: design,
naming convention
21 August 2008
Singular Table Name
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2 comments:
You know, most people I have talked to list ONE reason they use plural names: because they have an ORDER table.
You can't use ORDER, they don't want to use ORDER_TABLE, and so they shift their entire design to plural names because of...ORDERS.
A decent argument. Do you compromise the whole for a part? Depends on how integral the part is, right?
Even though it is a bit awkward, if it absolutely must be named 'Order,' do you use the reserved word? Which is the lesser of two evils?
Personally, I find that consistency trumps observing reserved words. But the people that I have worked with know that I obsess over not using reserved words. When in doubt, thesaurus!
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