When you create a data table, you must follow certain conventions for naming fields. This topic describes how to standardize field names in a database.
Recommended conventions
Use either all uppercase letters or all lowercase letters for field names. Do not use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
Start field names with letters.
Use field names that well represent the data content of the column, for example, "NAME".
Do not start or end field names with underscores (_).
Do not start field names with digits.
Do not use reserved words or keywords in field names.
Do not enclose digits in underscores (_) in field names.
Do not use plural forms in field names.
Use the feature names or standard abbreviations in field names. Use underscores (_) for separation in a field name. The "BUSINESS NAME_FIELD FEATURE" form is recommended, for example, "TASK_NUM", "CREATE_DATE", "STATION_DESC", and "TASK_ID".