Database Tablename Naming

[Paul Main]

Hi,

Can someone advise about how long a table name should be. Or atleast how long it should not be. Is there a specific lenght over which problems can occur. I favour naming a table as a description say 20 chars. If this is wrong then I can save myself a lot of problems by having an answer.

Are there any guidelines documented anywhere in Alpha 5.

Your advise please.

Paul

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Paul,

Often spoken guidelines:
1. The shortest to achieve description
2. Uniqueness within the first 10 characters.
3. Practally speaking- If you are writing code, you will be typing table names often and the longer they are, the more you have to type and the more you type it wrong.

[Doug Page]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Look at:

http://www.aimsdc.net/Tips_Funcs/A5_...onventions.htm

[DaveM]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Make those names and all names as short as you can handle. We did a 15 table program where all the tables were 2 letters long.

The calc fields will only hold so many characters and if you use 20 character table and field names, it will severely hamper your calcs. Like 20 times 10 insertions = 200 gone from 255. Not much room for a function.

Dave

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Make those names and all names as short as you can handle. We did a 15 table program where all the tables were 2 letters long.

The calc fields will only hold so many characters and if you use 20 character table and field names, it will severely hamper your calcs. Like 20 times 10 insertions = 200 gone from 255. Not much room for a function.

Dave

Dave,

I believe the limit on calculated field expressions is 1024 characters.

Database Specifications
Expressions
Number of characters in an expression
1024

Have you run into a situation where you couldn't create a calculated field expression more than 255 characters long?

I do agree with the procedure of keeping table and field names as short as possible.

[davej]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Paul,

Can someone advise about how long a table name should be. Or atleast how long it should not be. Is there a specific lenght over which problems can occur. I favour naming a table as a description say 20 chars. If this is wrong then I can save myself a lot of problems by having an answer.

Keep your table names within a 10 character limit. Balance that with meaningful names. At the recent conference, some of us participated in a 'best practices' session and the consensus was that adopting a naming convention that is meaningful and works for you is one of the best investments you could make. Cal's naming convention is different than mine, which is probably different than the next person's. Adopting a naming convention is the important key.

As Cal mentions, exceeding the 10 character limit can sometimes cause problems, so you are better off not tempting Mother Nature. While Dave Mason uses 2-character names, I personally wouldn't go that short, but if it works . . .

Dave

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

While the 10-character limit is highly recommended for field names and indicies, I don't think that cautionary advice need apply to table (or set) names. However, it is advisable to not use spaces in tables names, but rather, underscores.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

What I find somewhat disconcerting is that Alphasport and other template examples that Alpha provides do not adhere to these 'vocalized' recommendations. What's with that? Are we all wrong, or are the Alpha folks bad developers?

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

My reading is that Alpha feels they have "fixed" the problem. However, field names & indicies will still be truncated if the dbf is opened w/o benefit of the data dictionary files.

[DaveM]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Stan,

You are correct by the book. I was thinking of something else and possibly older versions. However, I can't seem to get 1023 fields into a table(never could) and the 2,000,000,000 records can never happen on my computers because the tables quit at 2 gig. Fpt files are done at 2 gig also, then they corrupt to the point I am looking for alternatives.

I would still recommend short names across the whole app( just like ya'll do) and short as possible calculations. There is less room for error later.

Dave

[Paul Main]

Re: Database Tablename Naming

Many thanks everyone for a comprehensive reply.

Paul