Naming Conventions: The Key to Maintaining Order in Your Stored Procedures
Choosing Clear and Consistent Names for 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
orsp_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.
sql stored-procedures naming-conventions