Primary key/foreign Key naming convention [closed]

Answer 1

If you are looking at application code, not just database queries, some things seem clear to me:

1. Table definitions usually directly map to a class that describes one object, so they should be singular. To describe a collection of an object, I usually append "Array" or "List" or "Collection" to the singular name, as it more clearly than use of plurals indicates not only that it is a collection, but what kind of a collection it is. In that view, I see a table name as not the name of the collection, but the name of the type of object of which it is a collection. A DBA who doesn't write application code might miss this point.

2. The data I deal with often uses "ID" for non-key identification purposes. To eliminate confusion between key "ID"s and non-key "ID"s, for the primary key name, we use "Key" (that's what it is, isn't it?) prefixed with the table name or an abbreviation of the table name. This prefixing (and I reserve this only for the primary key) makes the key name unique, which is especially important because we use variable names that are the same as the database column names, and most classes have a parent, identified by the name of the parent key. This also is needed to make sure that it is not a reserved keyword, which "Key" alone is. To facilitate keeping key variable names consistent, and to provide for programs that do natural joins, foreign keys have the same name as is used in the table in which they are the primary key. I have more than once encountered programs which work much better this way using natural joins. On this last point, I admit a problem with self-referencing tables, which I have used. In this case, I would make an exception to the foreign key naming rule. For example, I would use ManagerKey as a foreign key in the Employee table to point to another record in that table.

Answer 2

It doesn't really matter. I've never run into a system where there is a real difference between choice 1 and choice 2.

Jeff Atwood had a great article a while back on this topic. Basically people debate and argue the most furiously those topics which they cannot be proven wrong on. Or from a different angle, those topics which can only be won through filibuster style endurance based last-man-standing arguments.

Pick one and tell them to focus on issues that actually impact your code.

EDIT: If you want to have fun, have them specify at length why their method is superior for recursive table references.

Answer 3

The convention we use where I work is pretty close to A, with the exception that we name tables in the plural form (ie, "employees") and use underscores between the table and column name. The benefit of it is that to refer to a column, it's either "employees _ id" or "employees.id", depending on how you want to access it. If you need to specify what table the column is coming from, "employees.employees _ id" is definitely redundant.

Answer 4

I've always used userId as a PK on one table and userId on another table as a FK. 'm seriously thinking about using userIdPK and userIdFK as names to identify one from the other. It will help me to identify PK and FK quickly when looking at the tables and it seems like it will clear up code when using PHP/SQL to access data making it easier to understand. Especially when someone else looks at my code.

Answer 5

I use convention #2. I'm working with a legacy data model now where I don't know what stands for in a given table. Where's the harm in being verbose?

Answer 6

I agree that there is little to choose between them. To me a much more significant thing about either standard is the "standard" part.

If people start 'doing their own thing' they should be strung up by their nethers. IMHO :)