The Column Synonym

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The Column Synonym

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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October 23, 2023 at 12:00 am

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Column Synonym

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004284 More actions · Answer 1

You CAN, however, create a simple "Pass through view" that will do the trick.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Jeffrey Williams SSC Guru Points: 90301 More actions · Answer 2

You can also add a computed column to the table - but I really don't see the need or requirement to create a column with multiple names. It is just as easy to alias a column in a query as it would be to use a view or computed column - which would just end up being even more confusing.

Imagine a view is created - that references a computed column which only exists to give the column a different name - and aliases the computed column to the original column name. And then, someone includes that aliased column in the WHERE clause...

Jeffrey Williams
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

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Managing Transaction Logs

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004284 More actions · Answer 3

Jeffrey Williams wrote:

You can also add a computed column to the table - but I really don't see the need or requirement to create a column with multiple names. It is just as easy to alias a column in a query as it would be to use a view or computed column - which would just end up being even more confusing.
Imagine a view is created - that references a computed column which only exists to give the column a different name - and aliases the computed column to the original column name. And then, someone includes that aliased column in the WHERE clause...

If you mean "use more than a 2 part naming convention", except for the system database, I avoid more than the 2 part naming convention at all costs because databases don't always stay in the same place. I'd rather just change the target of a synonym or view than to try to find all the places in code (both SQL and Front End) that uses 3 or 4 part naming.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Jeffrey Williams SSC Guru Points: 90301 More actions · Answer 4

Jeff Moden wrote:

Jeffrey Williams wrote:
Imagine a view is created - that references a computed column which only exists to give the column a different name - and aliases the computed column to the original column name. And then, someone includes that aliased column in the WHERE clause...
If you mean "use more than a 2 part naming convention", except for the system database, I avoid more than the 2 part naming convention at all costs because databases don't always stay in the same place. I'd rather just change the target of a synonym or view than to try to find all the places in code (both SQL and Front End) that uses 3 or 4 part naming.

Not referring to 2 part naming or actual synonyms. Was being a bit tongue in cheek - I don't see any value to a column synonym since you can add an alias to your query and return any column name as you want.

Jeffrey Williams
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

How to post questions to get better answers faster
Managing Transaction Logs

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004284 More actions · Answer 5

Jeffrey Williams wrote:

Jeff Moden wrote:
Jeffrey Williams wrote:
Imagine a view is created - that references a computed column which only exists to give the column a different name - and aliases the computed column to the original column name. And then, someone includes that aliased column in the WHERE clause...
If you mean "use more than a 2 part naming convention", except for the system database, I avoid more than the 2 part naming convention at all costs because databases don't always stay in the same place. I'd rather just change the target of a synonym or view than to try to find all the places in code (both SQL and Front End) that uses 3 or 4 part naming.
Not referring to 2 part naming or actual synonyms. Was being a bit tongue in cheek - I don't see any value to a column synonym since you can add an alias to your query and return any column name as you want.

Ah... got it. I use "Pass thru Views" in such a fashion for limit columns in the same or other databases for security and performance purposes. Sure... go ahead and use "SELECT *" on that! 😀

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)