Re: Need SQL Reserved words list for DB/2, Ingress, MS-Access. Summary will be created.

All,

In article <kbradley-2211951430410001_at_kbradley-mac.us.oracle.com>

           kbradley_at_us.oracle.com "Kirk Bradley" writes:
>
>
> In fact, there should NEVER be a need to know the reserved word list if
> the SQL system is ANSI compatible. ANSI says that they own all future
> words (not in those words of course) and that the only way for users
> to guarantee ANSI compatible SQL forever is to enclose their object names
> in double quotes. So:
>
> SELECT "SELECT" FROM "FROM" WHERE "WHERE" = "OVERTHERE"
>
> will always work properly. Some non-ANSI compliant systems will have
> problems cause they use single and double quotes interchangeably. They
> will have to be fixed sometime.
>
> In article <DIC40u.Kz_at_actcom.co.il>, astea_at_actcom.co.il (Astea
> International) wrote:
>

Such a statement obviously shows scant disregard for the users convenience. The main purpose of allowing identifiers enclosed in double quotes is to to provide the ability to use 'strange' characters within identifier names.

Having the SQL committee tell users that any word may become reserved on a fucture revision of a standard is not being very helpful. I would hope that the committee considers the impact of reserving a new word on existing code very carefully indeed.

> >
> > If you want to make your client-server application
> > compatible to other DBMSs,
> > avoiding using those reserved words is a good practice
> > and will save a huge amout of work later.
> >
> > *******************************************************
> > *Astea Israel - Tefen Labs *
> > * Email: astea_at_actcom.co.il *
> > * Phone: (972) 4 - 987 2519 *
> > * Fax: (972) 4 - 987 2031 *

Of course the real problem is not new reserved words added by the SQL committee, but reserved words added by vendors.

Perhaps the committee could help solve this problem by requiring that all vendor reserved words start with the letters EXTENSION_. This seems to be a much more practical alternative than requiring all user identifiers be enclosed in double quotes. It also has the added advantage of highlighting the exactly which extensions were being used.

derek Received on Mon Nov 27 1995 - 00:00:00 CET