Stored Procedure Naming Conventions

1. Description

Naming conventions are a set of rules for choosing the character sequence to be used for identifiers (like stored procedures, tables, columns, etc.) in code. A consistent naming convention makes the code more readable, understandable, and maintainable.

For stored procedures, a good naming convention helps to quickly identify the purpose of the procedure and the database object it operates on.

2. Why It Is Important

• Readability: A consistent naming scheme makes it easier for developers (including your future self) to understand the purpose of a stored procedure at a glance.
• Maintainability: When you need to find a stored procedure related to a specific table or action, a good naming convention makes it much faster.
• Organization: It helps to group related stored procedures together when they are listed alphabetically.
• Avoiding Conflicts: It prevents accidentally giving your stored procedure the same name as a system stored procedure.

3. Common Naming Conventions

While there is no single "correct" naming convention, some are more popular and effective than others. A widely used and recommended pattern is:

usp_{Schema}_{TableName}_{Action}

• usp_: A prefix to indicate that the object is a user stored procedure. Note: Avoid using the sp_ prefix. In SQL Server, this prefix is reserved for system stored procedures. If a user-created stored procedure starts with sp_, SQL Server will first look for it in the master database, which can cause performance issues and unexpected behavior.
• {Schema}: (Optional but recommended) The schema of the primary table the procedure operates on (e.g., dbo, Sales, HR).
• {TableName}: The name of the primary database table or entity that the procedure is related to.
• {Action}: The action that the stored procedure performs. This is often a verb, like Get, Create, Update, Delete, Save, Select, etc.

Examples

Stored Procedure Name	Description
usp_Product_GetById	Gets a single product by its ID.
usp_Product_GetAll	Gets all products.
usp_Product_Create	Creates a new product.
usp_Product_Update	Updates an existing product.
usp_Product_Delete	Deletes a product.
usp_Order_GetByCustomerId	Gets all orders for a specific customer.
usp_HR_Employee_Deactivate	Deactivates an employee in the HR schema.

Parameter Naming

• Use the @ prefix for all parameters (this is required by T-SQL).
• Keep parameter names consistent and descriptive. Often, they will match the column name in the table.
• Example: @Id, @FirstName, @Email.

4. Best Practices

• Be Consistent: The most important rule is to be consistent. Pick a convention and stick to it throughout your project.
• Be Descriptive: The name should clearly describe what the stored procedure does. Avoid overly abbreviated or cryptic names.
• Use PascalCase: Use PascalCase (e.g., GetById) for the different parts of the name for better readability.
• Document Your Convention: If you are working in a team, make sure the naming convention is documented and shared with everyone.

5. Mini Practice Task

Based on the usp_{TableName}_{Action} naming convention, come up with appropriate names for the following stored procedures:

1. A stored procedure that retrieves all active employees.
2. A stored procedure that updates a customer's shipping address.
3. A stored procedure that deletes an order line item from an order.
4. A stored procedure that searches for products by a keyword.
5. A stored procedure that gets the total sales for a given month.