Attribute Naming Standards

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dawn - 21 Mar 2005 22:26 GMT

What industry naming standards are out there for database names of
columns/attributes? I am not referring to specific names in various
dtd's, for example, but general naming standards. This might include
whether to use _FLAG or IS_ for boolean types, for example.

Is there a site that has pointers to all/most/many such standards out
there?

Thanks. --dawn

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Leif B. Kristensen - 21 Mar 2005 22:48 GMT

dawn skrev:

> What industry naming standards are out there for database names of
> columns/attributes? I am not referring to specific names in various
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Is there a site that has pointers to all/most/many such standards out
> there?

I believe that's what ISO 11179 is supposed to cover, but I'm unable to
find good texts on it. You may want to look at this article:
<http://www.dbazine.com/gulutzan5.shtml>

Joe Celko has also mentioned it on the group comp.databases.theory, eg.
here:

<url:http://groups.google.no/groups?q=ISO+11179&hl=no&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=comp.databas
es.theory&selm=c0d87ec0.0112261355.14e71ea8%40posting.google.com&rnum=1>

Signature

Leif Biberg Kristensen
http://solumslekt.org/

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--CELKO-- - 21 Mar 2005 23:49 GMT

There is the ISO-11179 standard for data element names. The basic
rules are to name a thign for what it IS and not for how or where it is
used or how it is represented.

The middle of this year, my book on SQL PROGRAMING STYLE will be out
and it has chapters on naming conventions based on ISO-11179 and
reading studies. I am hoping that by virtue of having a single
definitive book on the subject, people will elect to use it. And that
I will get stinking rich form royalties :)

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dawn - 22 Mar 2005 00:04 GMT

> There is the ISO-11179 standard for data element names. The basic
> rules are to name a thign for what it IS and not for how or where it is
> used or how it is represented.

Yup, that's the one I was looking for. I was guessing there was more
than one, however. Do any/many/most XML dtd standards groups use these
naming conventions? Who uses this standard?

> The middle of this year, my book on SQL PROGRAMING STYLE will be out
> and it has chapters on naming conventions based on ISO-11179 and
> reading studies. I am hoping that by virtue of having a single
> definitive book on the subject, people will elect to use it. And that
> I will get stinking rich form royalties :)

The book sounds like a good idea. I just might continue my support of
your efforts, so you can notify your favorite charities.

smiles. --dawn

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--CELKO-- - 22 Mar 2005 01:38 GMT

>> I was guessing there was more than one, however. <<

Not from ISO, nor from any other Standards body I know about.

>> Who uses this standard? <<

The US Government (the largest user of IT on Earth), and any ISO
project that deals with data. Several metadata tools are being built
based on the specs. While the Standard is a bitch to read, it is
really common sense and there is an effort to build a repository of
standard encodings and bring them into the model.
.

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dawn - 22 Mar 2005 01:50 GMT

> >> I was guessing there was more than one, however. <<
>
> Not from ISO, nor from any other Standards body I know about.

Given that this ISO standard is related to SQL and I'm in the "it's
time to kill SQL" camp ;-) is it a standard that will survive when SQL
& related DBMS's are not the norm for new development? In other words,
do these standards span the needs for XML documents and related data
models or is there anything about this standard that will make it
unlikely to be used in non-SQL sandboxes? Just curious. --dawn

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dawn - 22 Mar 2005 02:07 GMT

> > >> I was guessing there was more than one, however. <<
> >
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> models or is there anything about this standard that will make it
> unlikely to be used in non-SQL sandboxes? Just curious. --dawn

I scanned an ISO document and saw that it does mention XML and doesn't
appear to be SQL-centric, so, as Rosanne Rosannadana would say,
"nevermind." --dawn

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Lewis C - 30 Mar 2005 15:03 GMT

Every place I have ever worked either had a standard or wanted to
define a standard. Unfortunately each was different. I wonder why
everyone feels the need to create their own non-standard standard? I
hope your book is used widely and adopted globally.

I really wish the major DB vendors would get together and adopt some
general guidelines as a standard. I won't be holding my breath for
that though. heh

Lewis

>There is the ISO-11179 standard for data element names. The basic
>rules are to name a thign for what it IS and not for how or where it is
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>definitive book on the subject, people will elect to use it. And that
>I will get stinking rich form royalties :)

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--CELKO-- - 30 Mar 2005 23:32 GMT

>> I really wish the major DB vendors would get together and adopt some

general guidelines as a standard. <<

I am hoping that my book will catch on so that it will be a de facto
standard. Or at least give anyone who is forced to follow it by his
boss a single person to be mad at :)

I also dream of writing a high school algebra book. They stay in print
forever. They are bought in huge numbers by school boards. The
material never needs to be revised. They have a high cover price
(therefore a high royalty payment). Thousands of teenagers will suffer
because of my work. What a perfect retirement income!

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Lewis C - 31 Mar 2005 15:32 GMT

>>> I really wish the major DB vendors would get together and adopt some
>general guidelines as a standard. <<
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>(therefore a high royalty payment). Thousands of teenagers will suffer
>because of my work. What a perfect retirement income!

That's just evil. An excellent idea though.

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