Database Reference
In-Depth Information
I recommend that you choose a naming convention that works best for you and use it across the system.
Details do not really matter as long as it is consistent and ideally provides information about the rules for which
the constraints are responsible. In my systems, I am using
DEF_<Table>_<Column>
for the default constraints
,
CHK_<Table>_<Column_Or_Description>
for the check constraints,
UQ_<TableName>_<ColNames>
for the unique
constraints, and
<FK>_<ReferencingTable>_<ReferencedTable>
for the foreign key constraints. This notation helps
me to understand what constraints are doing simply by glancing at their names.
Constraints are a very powerful tool that helps to keep the data clean and improve the supportability and
performance of the system. Use them wisely.
