Database Reference
In-Depth Information
stable of entertainers. This table clearly represents two subjects, so you remove
“Dates” from the Preliminary Table List and replace it with two new tables called
“Client Meetings” and “Entertainer Schedules.”
Possibly the most vague and ambiguous name you could assign to a table is “
Mis-
cellaneous
”—it doesn't identify a single subject whatsoever. You might occasion-
ally feel compelled to create a “Miscellaneous” table because you just can't figure
out what to do with certain fields on your Preliminary Field List. When that hap-
pens, stop, take a break, and then come back and reexamine those fields. Carefully
and methodically apply the design techniques you've learned, and you're sure to
determine what to do with the fields after all.
•
Use the minimum number of words necessary to convey the subject of the table.
Everyone in the organization should be able to identify what the table represents
without having to read its description. Although your objective is to create a short,
succinct table name, avoid using a minimalist approach. “TD_1” is a good ex-
ample of a name that is exceedingly short. You won't have the slightest idea what
this table represents unless you know the meaning of each character in the name.
You should also avoid going in the opposite direction as well. “Multiuse Vehicle
Maintenance Equipment” is much too long and can easily be shortened to just
“Equipment.”
•
Do not use words that convey physical characteristics.
Avoid using words such as
file, record,
and
table
in the table name because they add a level of confusion that
you don't need. A table name that includes this type of word is very likely to rep-
resent more than one subject. Consider the name “Patient Record.” On the surface,
this may appear to be an acceptable name. You'll realize, however, that there are
potential problems with this name when you take some time to think about what a
“patient record” is supposed to represent. The name contains a word that you're
trying hard to avoid (
record
) and it potentially represents three subjects: “patients,”
“doctors,” and “examinations.” With this in mind, remove “patients” from the Pre-
liminary Table List and replace it with three new tables, one for each of the three
subjects.
•
Do not use acronyms and abbreviations.
Acronyms are hard to decipher, abbrevi-
ations rarely convey the subject of the table, and both violate the first guideline in
this list. Take acronyms, for example. Say you're helping an organization revise its
database structure and you encounter a table named “SC.” How do you know what
the table represents without knowing the meaning of the letters themselves? The
fact is that you can't easily identify the subject of the table. What's more, you may
find that the table means different things to different departments in the organiza-
