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Coding Standards
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Practices
Gogula G. Aryalingam http://dbantics.wordpress.com

Rationale
Witness to totally messed up databases
Perspectives of a lot of developers regarding

SQL Server (or any database system):

Hostility towards SQL Server (the database

system)
High priority to the client application
Back-end nature of SQL Server (the database
system)
Any more reasons why you do not like SQL
Server?

Developers:
What Do You Do with SQL

Server?

Object Naming Conventions

Object Naming Conventions

Why naming conventions?
Reduces the effort needed to read and

understand
Increases the fluency in identifying objects
Do you use naming conventions?

Object Naming Conventions

Tables:
Use upper camel case
Do not use underscores to separate words
Use the plural form of nouns
E.g.: EmailAddresses, Customers, SalesInvoices

For relationship tables combine the related tables names

E.g.: StudentsCourses

Consider using Schemas (in SQL Server 2005 and later) to

group related objects (in databases with large structures)

Suggestions?

Object Naming Conventions

Field Names:
Use upper camel case
Do not use underscores to separate words
Use the singular form of nouns
E.g.: FirstName, DateOfBirth

Using the data type as a prefix is not considered a best

practice anymore
For identity column names use table name suffixed

with ID
Suggestions?

Object Naming Conventions

Other SQL Server objects
Views: vwSalesSummary2007
Indexes: IX_Customers_SocialSecurityNumber
Stored Procedures:
Do not prefix with sp_
Names based on functionality:
Get: GetSalesInvoices

Insert: InsertCustomers
Update: UpdateCourses

References:
http://vyaskn.tripod.com/object_naming.htm
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/dbadmin/downloads/sqlserverstandardsan
dguildelines.pdf

Prettifying the Horrifying

Horrifying
Take a look at this piece of code:

Prettifying the Horrifying

Why prettify?
Readability by others
Readability by self
Results in:
Ease of debugging and modifying of code

Prettifying the Horrifying

How to prettify?
Indents
Comments
Upper case for keywords
Shortening lines
Use square braces for table/view names and

column names
Use table aliases using
Use tabs instead white spaces
Suggestions?

Standards for Creating Tables

Standards for creating tables

Make sure all tables are in the 3rd Normal form
Primary keys for unique row identification
Choosing a primary key
Natural key vs. Surrogate key
Natural keys have a tendency to change
An integer identity (surrogate) column is the best suited
[UserID] int IDENTITY(1,1)

Avoid GUID/UNIQUEIDENTIFIER data types for primary key

Reference:
http://databases.aspfaq.com/database/what-should-i-choose-for-my-primary-key.ht

ml

Standards for creating tables

Choose data types with the minimal size as

possible
Use Unicode data types only if it is needed
Make sure data integrity is applied
Primary keys, Foreign keys, Check, Default and

Unique constraints
Keep in mind the 8060 B row size rule
Choose
varchar(max), nvarchar(max)
text, ntext

and

image

and

varbinary(max)

over

Standards for creating tables

Avoid storing BLOBs in tables especially if

there is constant access

Alternatively:
Store the path in the table and the data in files
Store the data in a varbinary(max) field using

FILESTREAM (SQL Server 2008)

Best Querying Practices

Querying Tips
Rather than SELECT * FROM

use SELECT [col1], [coln] FROM

Select only the columns that are required for output
Use Common Tables Expressions (CTEs) wherever

possible instead of temporary and derived tables

SET NOCOUNT ON within batches and stored procedures

to increase on performance

Querying Tips
Avoid cursors as much as possible
Alternatively use:
Set based approach to update or insert data from one

tables to another
Tables variable and While loop (suited for small result
sets)

Wild card characters at the beginning of a

phrase in the LIKE clause should be avoided

WHERE [Name] LIKE %Powell

Refer to table names with schema name

prefixed
FROM [HumanResources].[Employee ]

Querying Tips
Prefix column names with table name or alias
SELECT Employee.[Name],

Contact.[Address]

FROM
Avoid using functions on columns in the WHERE

clause
WHERE UPPER([Name]) = BARBIE

Declare all variables and initialize values at the

beginning of the code (Makes the query optimizer

reuse plans)
When checking for existence of records, simply use
IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM dbo.Employees) .
It does not return a result set, hence is fast.

Querying Tips
Avoid dynamic SQL
Try to find alternatives that do not constitute of dynamic SQL.
If at all using dynamic SQL, use sp_executesql instead of
EXECUTE (EXEC)

When testing query performance using the graphical

execution plan, look for Index seeks over Index scans

or Table scans.
When performing Inserts, use column list in the INSERT

clause:
INSERT INTO ([Name], [Age], [Address])

VALUES (Neil, 32, Hendala Junc.)

Querying Tips
Place all data access tasks in SQL Server

itself.
Avoid queries and data manipulations on
the client app/business tier.
Use stored procedures

Reference:
http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2008/09/25/sql-serve

r-guidelines-and-coding-standards/

Suggestions?

Trigger Mania

Trigger Mania
Perform all referential and domain integrity rules

using constraints
Avoid using triggers for this purpose (poor performance)
Use only if cannot be implemented by constraints

Avoid triggers for business functionality

Less visible
Can avoid indirect recursion problems
Alternatively use stored procedures

Triggers can be used for tasks such as auditing and

custom validations

Trigger Mania
When writing triggers
Write for a recordset rather than for a single

record
Suggestions?

Q&A

Q1
You have an SQL Server 2008 database.

You need to load data from one table to

another. New records will have to be
added, existing records need to be
updated and records not in the source
should be deleted from the destination.
How would you perform this with best
performance?
Using the MERGE statement

Q2
You use an SQL Server 2005 database. You

need to store map images which are

between 50MB and 100MB in size. What is
the optimum method to perform the
storage?
Store the images in the file system and the

file path in an SQL Server table

Q3
What alternatives can be used for cursors?
Set based operations
Table variables and WHILE loop (for small data

sets)

Q4
Name some Best Practices for triggers.
Avoid using business functionality within

triggers
Code for record sets rather than single
records
Best suited for auditing and other custom
tasks

Thank you
E-mail: gogulaa@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gogula
Blog:
Web:

http://dbantics.wordpress.com
http://sqlserveruniverse.com