Naming Conventions: The Key to Maintaining Order in Your Stored Procedures

• Strive for names that clearly communicate the purpose of the stored procedure.
• Avoid abbreviations or acronyms unless they are universally understood within your team.
• Keep the name concise, ideally between 3 and 15 words.

Example:

-- Unclear: sp_DoSomething (not descriptive)
-- Clear: sp_UpdateCustomerAddress

Structure and Consistency:

• Consider using a verb-noun structure (e.g., UpdateCustomerAddress, GetProductDetails).
• You can also use a noun-verb structure, especially for procedures returning data (e.g., CustomerAddressUpdate, ProductDetailsRetrieval).
• Be consistent throughout your codebase – stick to the chosen structure for all stored procedures.

-- Consistent verb-noun structure:
sp_InsertProduct, sp_DeleteOrder, sp_GetEmployeeList

-- Consistent noun-verb structure (for data retrieval):
CustomerAddressUpdate, OrderDetailsRetrieval, ProductInventoryCheck

Optional: Prefixes and Suffixes:

• Prefixes: While not mandatory, prefixes can help categorize procedures (e.g., usp_ for User Stored Procedures, adm_ for Admin procedures).
• Suffixes: Less common, but suffixes like _by_id or _search can further clarify the procedure's functionality.

-- Prefixes for categorization:
usp_CreateUser, adm_GrantPermissions

-- Suffix for data retrieval by ID:
sp_GetProductDetails_by_id

Related Issues and Solutions:

• Overly Generic Names: Avoid generic names like sp_DoSomething or sp_Proc1. They provide little information and can lead to confusion.
• Inconsistent Naming: Lack of consistency makes code harder to understand and maintain. Enforce the chosen convention through coding guidelines or tools.
• Versioning: If you frequently modify procedures, consider adding version numbers to the name (e.g., sp_UpdateCustomerAddress_v2) or using version control systems.