How to deal with SQL column names that look like SQL keywords

Question

One of my columns is called from  I can t change the name because I didn t make it  Am I allowed to do something like SELECT from FROM TableName or is there a special syntax to avoid the SQL Server being confused

User · Answer

Your question seems to be well answered here, but I just want to add one more comment to this subject.

Those designing the database should be well aware of the reserved keywords and avoid using them. If you discover someone using it, inform them about it (in a polite way). The keyword here is reserved word.

More information:

"Reserved keywords should not be used as object names. Databases upgraded from earlier versions of SQL Server may contain identifiers that include words not reserved in the earlier version, but that are reserved words for the current version of SQL Server. You can refer to the object by using delimited identifiers until the name can be changed." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176027.aspx

and

"If your database does contain names that match reserved keywords, you must use delimited identifiers when you refer to those objects. For more information, see Identifiers (DMX)." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms132178.aspx

User · Answer

Wrap the column name in brackets like so  from becomes  from    select  from  from table    It is also possible to use the following  useful when querying multiple tables    select table  from  from table

User · Answer

In MySQL  alternatively to using back quotes      you can use the UI to alter column names  Right click the table   Alter table   Edit the column name that contains sql keyword   Commit    select  from  from  lt table gt    As a note  the above does not work in MySQL

User · Answer

If it had been in PostgreSQL  use double quotes around the name  like   select  from  from  table     Note  Internally PostgreSQL automatically converts all unquoted commands and parameters to lower case  That have the effect that commands and identifiers aren t case sensitive  sEleCt   from tAblE  is interpreted as select   from table   However  parameters inside double quotes are used as is  and therefore ARE case sensitive  select   from  table   and select   from  Table   gets the result from two different tables

User · Answer

If you ARE using SQL Server  you can just simply wrap the square brackets around the column or table name    select  select  from  table

User · Answer

Hi I work on Teradata systems that is completely ANSI compliant  Use double quotes     to name such columns    E g  type is a SQL reserved keyword  and when used within quotes  type is treated as a user specified name   See below code example   CREATE TABLE alpha1 AS   SEL product1 type of product AS  type  FROM beta1   WITH DATA PRIMARY INDEX  product1   --type is a SQL reserved keyword  TYPE  --see  now to retrieve the column you would use   SEL  type  FROM alpha1

User · Answer

You can put your column name in bracket like   Select   from  from  lt  ur tablename gt    Or  Put in a temprary table then use as you like  Example   Declare  temp table table temp from varchar max    Insert into  temp table Select   from your tablename   Here I just assume that your tablename contains only one column  i e  from

User · Answer

Judging from the answers here and my own experience  The only acceptable answer  if you re planning on being portable is don t use SQL keywords for table  column  or other names   All these answers work in the various databases but apparently a lot don t support the ANSI solution

User · Answer

If you ARE using SQL Server  you can just simply wrap the square brackets around the column or table name    select  select  from  table

User · Answer

While you are doing it - alias it as something else  or better yet  use a view or an SP and deprecate the old direct access method    SELECT  from  AS TransferFrom -- Or something else more suitable FROM TableName

User · Answer

While you are doing it - alias it as something else  or better yet  use a view or an SP and deprecate the old direct access method    SELECT  from  AS TransferFrom -- Or something else more suitable FROM TableName

User · Answer

If it had been in PostgreSQL  use double quotes around the name  like   select  from  from  table     Note  Internally PostgreSQL automatically converts all unquoted commands and parameters to lower case  That have the effect that commands and identifiers aren t case sensitive  sEleCt   from tAblE  is interpreted as select   from table   However  parameters inside double quotes are used as is  and therefore ARE case sensitive  select   from  table   and select   from  Table   gets the result from two different tables

User · Answer

Wrap the column name in brackets like so  from becomes  from    select  from  from table    It is also possible to use the following  useful when querying multiple tables    select table  from  from table

User · Answer

If you ARE using SQL Server  you can just simply wrap the square brackets around the column or table name    select  select  from  table

User · Answer

Wrap the column name in brackets like so  from becomes  from    select  from  from table    It is also possible to use the following  useful when querying multiple tables    select table  from  from table

User · Answer

In MySQL  alternatively to using back quotes      you can use the UI to alter column names  Right click the table   Alter table   Edit the column name that contains sql keyword   Commit    select  from  from  lt table gt    As a note  the above does not work in MySQL

User · Answer

You can put your column name in bracket like   Select   from  from  lt  ur tablename gt    Or  Put in a temprary table then use as you like  Example   Declare  temp table table temp from varchar max    Insert into  temp table Select   from your tablename   Here I just assume that your tablename contains only one column  i e  from

User · Answer

While you are doing it - alias it as something else  or better yet  use a view or an SP and deprecate the old direct access method    SELECT  from  AS TransferFrom -- Or something else more suitable FROM TableName

User · Answer

In Apache Drill  use backquotes   select  from  from table

User · Answer

I ran in the same issue when trying to update a column which name was a keyword  The solution above didn t help me  I solved it out by simply specifying the name of the table like this   UPDATE  survey  SET survey values  yes no  WHERE  question  Did you agree

User · Answer

Your question seems to be well answered here, but I just want to add one more comment to this subject.

Those designing the database should be well aware of the reserved keywords and avoid using them. If you discover someone using it, inform them about it (in a polite way). The keyword here is reserved word.

More information:

"Reserved keywords should not be used as object names. Databases upgraded from earlier versions of SQL Server may contain identifiers that include words not reserved in the earlier version, but that are reserved words for the current version of SQL Server. You can refer to the object by using delimited identifiers until the name can be changed." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176027.aspx

and

"If your database does contain names that match reserved keywords, you must use delimited identifiers when you refer to those objects. For more information, see Identifiers (DMX)." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms132178.aspx

User · Answer

Wrap the column name in brackets like so  from becomes  from    select  from  from table    It is also possible to use the following  useful when querying multiple tables    select table  from  from table

User · Answer

In Apache Drill  use backquotes   select  from  from table

User · Answer

Judging from the answers here and my own experience  The only acceptable answer  if you re planning on being portable is don t use SQL keywords for table  column  or other names   All these answers work in the various databases but apparently a lot don t support the ANSI solution

User · Answer

The following will work perfectly   SELECT DISTINCT table from AS a FROM table

User · Answer

I have also faced this issue   And the solution for this is to put  Column Name  like this in the query   string query   Select  Name   Email  from Person     So it will work perfectly well

User · Answer

If it had been in PostgreSQL  use double quotes around the name  like   select  from  from  table     Note  Internally PostgreSQL automatically converts all unquoted commands and parameters to lower case  That have the effect that commands and identifiers aren t case sensitive  sEleCt   from tAblE  is interpreted as select   from table   However  parameters inside double quotes are used as is  and therefore ARE case sensitive  select   from  table   and select   from  Table   gets the result from two different tables

User · Answer

Your question seems to be well answered here, but I just want to add one more comment to this subject.

Those designing the database should be well aware of the reserved keywords and avoid using them. If you discover someone using it, inform them about it (in a polite way). The keyword here is reserved word.

More information:

"Reserved keywords should not be used as object names. Databases upgraded from earlier versions of SQL Server may contain identifiers that include words not reserved in the earlier version, but that are reserved words for the current version of SQL Server. You can refer to the object by using delimited identifiers until the name can be changed." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176027.aspx

and

"If your database does contain names that match reserved keywords, you must use delimited identifiers when you refer to those objects. For more information, see Identifiers (DMX)." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms132178.aspx

User · Answer

Hi I work on Teradata systems that is completely ANSI compliant  Use double quotes     to name such columns    E g  type is a SQL reserved keyword  and when used within quotes  type is treated as a user specified name   See below code example   CREATE TABLE alpha1 AS   SEL product1 type of product AS  type  FROM beta1   WITH DATA PRIMARY INDEX  product1   --type is a SQL reserved keyword  TYPE  --see  now to retrieve the column you would use   SEL  type  FROM alpha1

User · Answer

These are the two ways to do it    Use back quote as here         SELECT  from  FROM TableName    You can mention with table name as        SELECT TableName from FROM TableName

User · Answer

I have also faced this issue   And the solution for this is to put  Column Name  like this in the query   string query   Select  Name   Email  from Person     So it will work perfectly well

User · Answer

The following will work perfectly   SELECT DISTINCT table from AS a FROM table

User · Answer

If it had been in PostgreSQL  use double quotes around the name  like   select  from  from  table     Note  Internally PostgreSQL automatically converts all unquoted commands and parameters to lower case  That have the effect that commands and identifiers aren t case sensitive  sEleCt   from tAblE  is interpreted as select   from table   However  parameters inside double quotes are used as is  and therefore ARE case sensitive  select   from  table   and select   from  Table   gets the result from two different tables

User · Answer

Your question seems to be well answered here, but I just want to add one more comment to this subject.

Those designing the database should be well aware of the reserved keywords and avoid using them. If you discover someone using it, inform them about it (in a polite way). The keyword here is reserved word.

More information:

"Reserved keywords should not be used as object names. Databases upgraded from earlier versions of SQL Server may contain identifiers that include words not reserved in the earlier version, but that are reserved words for the current version of SQL Server. You can refer to the object by using delimited identifiers until the name can be changed." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176027.aspx

and

"If your database does contain names that match reserved keywords, you must use delimited identifiers when you refer to those objects. For more information, see Identifiers (DMX)." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms132178.aspx

User · Answer

While you are doing it - alias it as something else  or better yet  use a view or an SP and deprecate the old direct access method    SELECT  from  AS TransferFrom -- Or something else more suitable FROM TableName

User · Answer

These are the two ways to do it    Use back quote as here         SELECT  from  FROM TableName    You can mention with table name as        SELECT TableName from FROM TableName

User · Answer

I ran in the same issue when trying to update a column which name was a keyword  The solution above didn t help me  I solved it out by simply specifying the name of the table like this   UPDATE  survey  SET survey values  yes no  WHERE  question  Did you agree

User · Answer

If you ARE using SQL Server  you can just simply wrap the square brackets around the column or table name    select  select  from  table

[sql] How to deal with SQL column names that look like SQL keywords?

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