A naming standard is a consistent set of rules for naming database objects and their components. Consistency makes databases easier to understand, query, and maintain. section 3.4
Choose the rules first, then apply them everywhere:
- Use either singular or plural names consistently for tables; examples include employee and employees. section 4.2
- Choose one attribute style, such as snake_case, camelCase, PascalCase, uppercase, Hungarian notation, or semantic naming. section 4.2
- Check column-name length limits before finalizing names; MariaDB, for example, allows up to 64 characters. section 4.2
Avoid mixed names
A database becomes harder to use when the same primary-key idea appears as id, Id, and identifier. Applying one convention to entities and attributes prevents such confusion and reduces query-writing and maintenance errors. A consistent design might use employee for an entity and first_name for an attribute. section 3.4 section 4.2
