The establishment of naming conventions reduces the accumulation of redundant data and improves the overall design of an application. Naming convention standards apply to the components of an application as well as to the database entities accessed by the application. Naming conventions for application entities and database information entities are each discussed separately below.

Naming conventions make it easier to keep track of application components as they are created and maintained. While mnemonic names can work well for less complex applications, mnemonics are inadequate when handling the large volume of complex applications that typically exist at most sites. Adhering to a naming convention eases the construction of component names, eases the reconstruction of component names if one is forgotten, and eases the use and maintenance of an application.

The table below lists the naming convention standards used for the sample application in this manual.