Is prefixing each field name in a table with abbreviated table name a good practice?

Question

Do you prefix each field in a table with abbreviated table name?

Example:

Table: User

Fields:
user_id
user_name
user_password

Or d

Answer 1

Putting the prefix on column names can be a good practice. If you're working on a formal (and probably large) database and you're paying any attention to ISO 11179 (particularly the concept of data element names), then it's good to put the full three (or four) part name in: Object - Property - Representation Term. (The fourth optional part is a qualifier.) For example, "user_first_name". That way you have consistency between your data dictionary and the database schema. I wouldn't do this for smaller databases for the reasons already commented on, but in a complex schema this reduces some risk for error.