Comments on: What does RESERVED = Y really mean? http://awads.net/wp/2007/01/10/what-does-reserved-y-really-mean/ News, views, tips and tricks on Oracle and other fun stuff Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:04:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eddie Awad http://awads.net/wp/2007/01/10/what-does-reserved-y-really-mean/comment-page-1/#comment-50299 Eddie Awad Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:49:40 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2007/01/10/what-does-reserved-y-really-mean/#comment-50299 <p>A good practice would be to always use a certain prefix or suffix in your PL/SQL identifiers as a way to avoid using reserved words. For example, prefix local identifiers with <code>l_</code> and global identifiers with <code>g_</code>. So, even though "begin" cannot be used as an identifier, "l_begin" can.</p> A good practice would be to always use a certain prefix or suffix in your PL/SQL identifiers as a way to avoid using reserved words. For example, prefix local identifiers with l_ and global identifiers with g_. So, even though “begin” cannot be used as an identifier, “l_begin” can.

]]> By: William Robertson http://awads.net/wp/2007/01/10/what-does-reserved-y-really-mean/comment-page-1/#comment-50298 William Robertson Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:46:48 +0000 http://awads.net/wp/2007/01/10/what-does-reserved-y-really-mean/#comment-50298 <p><i>> But why would you use keywords, reserved or not, as identifiers?!</i></p> <p>Presumably the idea is to help you avoid using them, especially since each release of Oracle adds more. Otherwise you would never know that the list now includes GUARANTEED, VERSION, INFORMATIONAL, WALLET, WELLFORMED and M. (Not to mention LENGTH, which is rather bizarrely used as a column name by the view itself.)</p> <p>It also seems to include a selection of what appear to be optimizer hints such as USE_HASH and FULL. I can't see what naming conflict could ever arise in practice with those.</p> > But why would you use keywords, reserved or not, as identifiers?!

Presumably the idea is to help you avoid using them, especially since each release of Oracle adds more. Otherwise you would never know that the list now includes GUARANTEED, VERSION, INFORMATIONAL, WALLET, WELLFORMED and M. (Not to mention LENGTH, which is rather bizarrely used as a column name by the view itself.)

It also seems to include a selection of what appear to be optimizer hints such as USE_HASH and FULL. I can’t see what naming conflict could ever arise in practice with those.

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