DATABASE PROGRAMMING STANDARDS

DATABASE PROGRAMMING STANDARDS

Naming Conventions:
Tables:
Each table will have a 3-letter Module nae under!core 3 letter t"#e $M!t %or Ma!ter& Trn %or Tran!action& T#
%or Te#orar" and Stc %or Static'& which will be uni(ue to identi%" the Module and table t"#e)

For example:
*or +lient Ma!ter the table nae will be Gen,M!t,+lient
The %ir!t 3 character! -Gen. i! to identi%" Module nae and M!t u!ed to identi%" table t"#e)
I% the #ro/ect0#roduct ha! !in1le odule then directl" !tart with table t"#e)
For example:
*or +lient Ma!ter the table nae will be M!t,+lient
Columns (fiels!:
*ield nae !hould re%lect the content to be !tored)
For example2
3) +lient+ode
4) 5nit+ode

+lient+ode i! the %ield nae to re%er client6! code toward! all the odule! and table!)
Ine"es:
The %ollowin1 rule !hould be %ollowed %or nain1 an inde7
Rule2 ID8,9TableNae:,9colun! !e#arated b" ,:
For examples:
Id7,Product!,ProductID
P#ima#$ %e$s:
The %ollowin1 rule ha! to be %ollowed %or nain1 a #riar" ;e"
Rule2 P<,9TableNae:

For examples:
P;,Gen,M!t,+lient
&o#eign %e$s: The %ollowin1 rule ha! to be %ollowed %or nain1 %orei1n ;e"
Rule2 *<,9TableNae3:,9TableNae4:

For example:
*;,+lient,Account!
'a#iables:
=ariable! !hould be #re%i7ed with >v,6
For example:
v,Sli#
Constants:
*or con!tant! whole word !hould be in ca#! e7ce#t #re%i7 c,)
For example:

c,S?IP
Cu#so#s:
+ur!or! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ cur, @
For example:

+ur,+ontract
Pa#amete#s:
Paraeter! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ #, @
For example:

#,+lient
P#o(eu#es:
Procedure! !hould be #re%i7ed with @9Module Nae:,Pr, @
For example:
Gen,Pr,Branch,*etch
Ahere Gen indicate! Module nae and Pr re%er! to #rocedure)

&un(tions:
*unction! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ 9Module Nae:,*n,@

For example:

Der,*n,+alculate,Bro;era1e
T#igge#s:
Tri11er! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ 9Module Nae:,T1,@
For example:
Der,T1,In!ert,Trade
Pa()age:
Pac;a1e !hould be #re%i7ed with @9Module Nae:,P;, @
For example:
Der,P;1,Buer",?oo;u#
'ie*s:
=iew! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ 9Module Nae:,=w,@
For example:
Der,=w,+ontract,Detail!
Mate#iali+e 'ie*s:
MaterialiCed =iew! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ 9Module Nae:,Mv,@
For example:
Der,Mv,+ontract,Detail!
Se,uen(es:
Se(uence! !hould be #re%i7ed with >9Module Nae:,Se(,6
For example:
Der,Se(,Ban;,+ode
S$non$ms:
S"non"! !hould be #re%i7ed with @ 9Module Nae:,S"n, @
For example:
Der,S"n,Aor;!;ill
Summa#$:
OB-ECT E.AMP/E
Table! M!t,+lient
+olun! +lient+ode
Inde7e! Id7,Product!,ProductID
Priar" <e"! P;,Gen,M!t,+lient
*orei1n <e"! *;,+lient,Account!
=ariable! v,Sli#
+on!tant! c,S?IP
+ur!or! +ur,+ontract
Paraeter! #,+lient
Procedure! Gen,Pr,Branch,*etch
*unction! Der,*n,+alculate,Bro;era1e
Tri11er! Der,T1,In!ert,Trade
Pac;a1e! Der,P;1,Buer",?oo;u#
=iew! Der,=w,+ontract,Detail!
MaterialiCed =iew! Der,Mv,+ontract,Detail!
Se(uence! Der,Se(,Ban;,+ode
S"non"! Der,S"n,Aor;!;ill
Gene#al Stana#s to be follo*e u#ing atabase 0#og#amming:
Do not u!e !#ace! in the nae o% databa!e ob/ect!
Do not u!e SB? ;e"word! a! the nae o% databa!e ob/ect!
In ca!e! where thi! i! nece!!ar"& !urround the ob/ect nae with brac;et!& !uch a! DEearF
Pre%i7 table nae! with the owner nae $e)1) dbo)9Table Nae:'

St#u(tu#e
Normalize data to third normal form (Only depending on the project requirement).
Do not use TEXT as a data type use the ma!imum allo"ed characters of #$%&'$% instead
"hene(er it is possi)le.
*n #$%&'$% data columns+ do not default to N,-- use an empty string instead as much as
possi)le+ create stored procedures on the same data)ase as the main ta)les they "ill )e
accessing.

&o#matting
,se upper case for all ./- 0ey"ords
o .E-E&T+ *N.E%T+ ,1D$TE+ 2'E%E+ $ND+ O%+ -*3E+ etc.
*ndent code to impro(e reada)ility
&omment code )loc0s that are not easily understanda)le
o ,se single4line comment mar0ers(44)
o %eser(e multi4line comments (56.. ..65) for )loc0ing out sections of code
,se single quote characters to delimit strings.
o Nest single quotes to e!press a single quote or apostrophe "ithin a string
,se parentheses to increase reada)ility
o 2'E%E (color78red8 $ND (size 7 9 O% size 7 :))
,se ;E<*N..END )loc0s only "hen multiple statements are present "ithin a conditional code
segment.
,se one )lan0 line to separate code sections.
,se spaces so that e!pressions read li0e sentences.
=ormat >O*N operations using indents
1lace .ET statements )efore any e!ecuting code in the procedure.
Coing:
Optimize queries using the tools pro(ided )y ./- .er(er "hene(er necessary
Do not use .E-E&T 6
%eturn multiple result sets from one stored procedure to a(oid trips from the
application ser(er to ./- ser(er
$(oid unnecessary use of temporary ta)les
o ,se ?Deri(ed ta)les? or &TE (&ommon Ta)le E!pressions) "here(er possi)le+ as they
perform )etter
$(oid using @A as a comparison operator
,se .ET NO&O,NT ON at the )eginning of stored procedures
$(oid using cursors or application loops to do inserts
o *nstead+ use *N.E%T *NTO
=ully qualify ta)les and column names in >O*Ns
=ully qualify all stored procedure and ta)le references in stored procedures. ,se appropriate
aliases needed
Do not define default (alues for parameters.
o *f a default is needed+ the front end "ill supply the (alue.
Do not use the %E&OB1*-E option for stored procedures.
1lace all DE&-$%E statements )efore any other code in the procedure.
Do not use column num)ers in the O%DE% ;C clause.
Do not use <OTO.
&hec0 the glo)al (aria)le DDE%%O% immediately after e!ecuting a data manipulation statement
(li0e *N.E%T5,1D$TE5DE-ETE)+ so that you can roll)ac0 the transaction if an error occurs
o Or use T%C5&$T&'
Do )asic (alidations in the front4end itself during data entry
Off4load tas0s+ li0e string manipulations+ concatenations+ ro" num)ering+ case con(ersions+ type
con(ersions etc.+ to the front4end applications if these operations are going to consume more &1,
cycles on the data)ase ser(er
$l"ays use a column list in your *N.E%T statements.
o This helps a(oid pro)lems "hen the ta)le structure changes (li0e adding or
dropping a column).
Binimize the use of N,--s+ as they often confuse front4end applications+ unless the applications
are coded intelligently to eliminate N,--s or con(ert the N,--s into some other form.
o $ny e!pression that deals "ith N,-- results in a N,-- output.
o The *.N,-- and &O$-E.&E functions are helpful in dealing "ith N,--
(alues.
Do not use the identitycol or ro"guidcol unless it is una(oida)le.
$(oid the use of cross joins+ if possi)le.
2hen e!ecuting an ,1D$TE or DE-ETE statement+ use the primary 0ey in the
2'E%E condition+ if possi)le. This reduces error possi)ilities.
$(oid dynamic ./- statements as much as possi)le.
$ccess ta)les in the same order in your stored procedures and triggers consistently
Do not call functions repeatedly "ithin your stored procedures+ triggers+ functions and )atches.
$(oid "ild4card characters at the )eginning of a "ord "hile searching using the -*3E 0ey"ord+
as these results in an inde! scan+ "hich defeats the purpose of an inde!. ,se the &'$% data type
for a column only "hen the column is non4nulla)le.
Do not use "hite space in identifiers.
The %ET,%N statement is meant for returning the e!ecution status only+ )ut not data.
Pe#fo#man(e Ti0s:
Ba0e use of joins rather than su) queries+ union or intersection in DB- statements.
,se the graphical e!ecution plan in /uery $nalyzer or .'O21-$NETEXT or .'O21-$NE$--
commands to analyze your queries. Ba0e sure your queries do an F*nde! see0F instead of an
F*nde! scanF or a FTa)le scanF. Ta)le scan or an inde! scan is highly undesira)le and should )e
a(oided "here possi)le.
&onsider the follo"ing query to find the second highest offer price from the *tems ta)leG
.E-E&T B$X (1rice)
=%OB 1roducts
2'E%E *D *N
(
.E-E&T TO1 : *D
=%OB 1roducts
O%DE% ;C 1rice Desc
)
The same query can )e re4"ritten using a deri(ed ta)le+ as sho"n )elo"+ and it performs
generally t"ice as fast as the a)o(e queryG
.E-E&T B$X (1rice)
=%OB (
.E-E&T TO1 : 1rice
=%OB 1roducts
O%DE% ;C 1rice DE.& )
This suppresses messages li0e ?(9 ro"(s) affected)? after e!ecuting *N.E%T+ ,1D$TE+ DE-ETE
and .E-E&T statements. 1erformance is impro(ed due to the reduction of net"or0 traffic.
Cou cannot directly "rite or update te!t data using the *N.E%T or ,1D$TE statements. *nstead+
you ha(e to use special statements li0e %E$DTEXT+ 2%*TETEXT and ,1D$TETEXT. .o+ if you don?t
ha(e to store more than H3; of te!t+ use the &'$% (HIII) or #$%&'$% (HIII) data type
instead.
Dynamic ./- tends to )e slo"er than static ./-+ as ./- .er(er must generate an e!ecution
plan at runtime. *= and &$.E statements come in handy to a(oid dynamic ./-. This helps to a(oid
deadloc0s.
3eep transactions as short as possi)le.
Touch the minimum amount of data possi)le during a transaction.
Ne(er "ait for user input in the middle of a transaction.
Do not use higher le(el loc0ing hints or restricti(e isolation le(els unless they are a)solutely
needed.
Cou might need the length of a string (aria)le in many places of your procedure+ )ut don?t call
the -EN function "hene(er it?s needed. *nstead+ call the -EN function once and store the result in a
(aria)le for later use.
*= EX*.T. (.E-E&T 9 =%OB 1roducts 2'E%E *D 7 JI)
*nstead OfG
*= EX*.T. (.E-E&T &O,NT(*D) =%OB 1roducts 2'E%E *D 7 JI)
&'$%(9II)+ "hen N,--+ "ill consume 9II )ytes+ resulting in space "astage. 1refera)ly+ use
#$%&'$%(9II) in this situation. #aria)le4length columns ha(e (ery little processing o(erhead
compared "ith fi!ed4length columns.
$l"ays head the procedures+ pac0ages+ functions and Triggers "ith the )elo" details
/*
*
* Created By :
* Created Date :
* Purpose :
* Modification History
* ------------------------------------------------------------------
* Name Date Description
* ------------------------------------------------------------------
*
*
*/
%emo(e unused codes and o)jects regularly.
Bo(e static e!pressions outside of loops and ./- statements.
&atch all e!ceptions and con(ert to meaningful return codes )efore returning to non4./- host
programs.
Do not o(erload an e!ception "ith multiple errors.
$(oid hard4codes.
%eturn message should )e standardized for all forms.
,se incremental &OBB*Ts to a(oid roll)ac0 segment errors "hen changing large num)ers of
ro"s.
Ne(er use a cursor =O% loop to fetch just one ro".
,se ;,-3 &O--E&T to impro(e performance of multi4ro" queries
Encapsulate dynamic ./- parsing to impro(e error detection and cleanup.