Object Names

Database Schema Designer provides a powerful system for naming your Database Objects.   This system keeps your Object names linked, consistent and unique.   The consistency is provided via the Naming Convention.   This ensures that your Object names will follow your standards and retain valuable names throughout many changes to the Schema.

Many of the Schema Object Names in Database Schema Designer are set in the same manner.   Generally an Object will derive a name from its Parent Table's name and then be "Namized" with the  Naming Convention.   This means that there is no need to even think about the name of the Object.   Since the name is derived from the Table name, it will be easily recognized as being associated with that Table.

Example
When Adding or Editing an Object you will find a section of the screen that looks similar to this:
Foreign Key Naming System
Foreign Key used just as an example.   Could be several other object types.
A Foreign Key with the Parent Table TPlayers and the Child Table TTeamPlayers will automatically be assigned the  Root Name  of 'TTeamPlayers_TPlayers'.   When using the default Naming Convention this Root Name will become 'TTeamPlayers_TPlayers_FK1'.


If by some strange circumstance you do not want to use your Naming Convention or you do not like having your Objects derive their names from their Parents, you do have an option.   Simply check the "Use Custom Name" option and the Naming Convention will not be used.   Instead the Prefix, Root Name, and Suffix will become freely customizable.  
You can have the "Use Custom Name" option turned off by default.   See the Edit Schema Properties Tutorial to learn more.
Use Naming Convention
Foreign Key used just as an example.   Could be several other object types.

This naming system is relevant to Check Constraints, Foreign Key Constraints, Indexes, Triggers, Unique Constraints and Views.   Indexes and Unique Constraints are different in that the Root Name will also contain the Column Names separated by an underscore.   Views are different in that the Root Name will contain only the first Table/View reference rather than all of them.  

Tables
Tables use a combination of this system in conjunction with a  Primary Key Reference Prefix.   Unlike the other Objects, a Table's Root Name is always customizable.   This is why there is no "Use Custom Name" option.   However, there is a "Use Naming Convention" option which will turn on and off the use of the Naming Convention for the Table.

Another feature that is unique to Table's is the Primary Key Reference option.   To use this feature, simply check the "Use Primary Key References" option.

Table Naming System

The remainder of Schema Objects either do not reference a Parent Table or are of a free text nature and do not use this naming system.   They will rely soley on your input to set the name.

See the Manage Object Names Tutorial to learn how to control the names of all your Schema Objects from one place.
See the Naming Convention Tutorial to learn how to manage your Naming Conventions.