[DB-SIG] Quoting table and column names

[Chris Cogdon]

On Wednesday 19 June 2002 14:18, Ryan Weisenberger wrote:

> Is it safe to ALWAYS quote table names and column names in SQL
> statements?  My python app queries against several different kinds of
> databases, most notably Oracle 8 and 9, MS SQL Server 2000, and
> Sybase.  When table and column names contain spaces or characters (':' =
or
> '-'), I surround them with double quotes.  So is it safe to always do
> this?  I thought at one time I discovered that some dbs don't like this=
=2E

This is DBSS specific.

For example, Postgresql requires you to use single quotes when you want t=
o=20
generate a string literal, and double quotes when you need to quote an en=
tity=20
name (column, table, etc) that has spaces in it.

However, MySQL decide to not follow SQL standards, and lets you use singl=
e or=20
double quotes to specify string literals, and you need to use backticks t=
o=20
quote an entity name (Can you see my anti-MySQL bias, here? :)

So, if you're quite willing to reject MySQL as a valid target for your=20
application "because it doesn't follow standards", then the answer is yes=
 :)


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   ("`-/")_.-'"``-._        Chris Cogdon <chris@cogdon.org>
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