Database, Table and Column Naming Conventions?

Question

Whenever I design a database, I always wonder if there is a best way of naming an item in my database. Quite often I ask myself the following questions:

1. Should table names be plural?
2. Should column names be singular?
3. Should I prefix tables or columns?
4. Should I use any case in naming items?

Are there any recommended guidelines out there for naming items in a database?

Answer 1

I recommend checking out Microsoft's SQL Server sample databases: https://github.com/Microsoft/sql-server-samples/releases/tag/adventureworks

The AdventureWorks sample uses a very clear and consistent naming convention that uses schema names for the organization of database objects.

1. Singular names for tables
2. Singular names for columns
3. Schema name for tables prefix (E.g.: SchemeName.TableName)
4. Pascal casing (a.k.a. upper camel case)