Naming "timestamps"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gary Schuldt
  • Start date Start date
G

Gary Schuldt

I want to use the Now() function, which returns both the current date and
time.

I need some sage advice on what to name the database field I store this
value in. I could call it DateCreated, but it's more than just a "date",
since it includes hour/min/sec etc., too.

I could call it TimestampCreated, but it's more than just a time-stamp--it
also has "date" in it!

What's the Best Practice on naming such fields so that the names are not
(too) misleading?

Thanks!

Gary
 
I want to use the Now() function, which returns both the current date and
time.

I need some sage advice on what to name the database field I store this
value in. I could call it DateCreated, but it's more than just a "date",
since it includes hour/min/sec etc., too.

I could call it TimestampCreated, but it's more than just a time-stamp--it
also has "date" in it!

What's the Best Practice on naming such fields so that the names are not
(too) misleading?

Thanks!

Gary
Click to expand...

We call it CreateTS in our shop. I think "timestamp" can imply a date
too. Doesn't really matter as long as you're consistent.

--
Armen Stein
Access 2003 VBA Programmer's Reference
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764559036/jstreettech-20
J Street Technology, Inc.
Armen _@_ JStreetTech _._ com
 
I want to use the Now() function, which returns both the current date and
time.

I need some sage advice on what to name the database field I store this
value in. I could call it DateCreated, but it's more than just a "date",
since it includes hour/min/sec etc., too.

I could call it TimestampCreated, but it's more than just a time-stamp--it
also has "date" in it!

What's the Best Practice on naming such fields so that the names are not
(too) misleading?
Click to expand...

I usually just call such fields Timestamp or TimestampCreated, and
document it. De gustibus non disputandnum est however.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps
 
Thanks, Armen.

That fits with my conventions of putting the "class word" (e.g., date,
time, percent, description) at the end--in this case "TS"--and the
modifier--Created or Modified--preceding it. So there could be a CreatedTS
and a ModifiedTS, both set using Now() in the appropriate contexts.

Gary
 
Thanks, John.

Yes, I agree with "De gustibus . . . " when it's purely arbitrary; I just
wanted to poll the experts, since lotsa times I have to defend my
programming decisions.

It seems in this case that the most defensible choice would be DateTime to
characterize the type of value Now returns. So I think my names are going
to be CreatedDateTime and ModifiedDateTime. If I'm just interested in the
date, I can use the DateValue function on the result.

Gary
 
It seems in this case that the most defensible choice would be DateTime to
characterize the type of value Now returns. So I think my names are going
to be CreatedDateTime and ModifiedDateTime. If I'm just interested in the
date, I can use the DateValue function on the result.
Click to expand...

Sounds good to me!

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps
 
John Vinson said:
Sounds good to me!
Click to expand...

I try to avoid reserved words. TIMESTAMP is an ODBC reserved word and
a SQL Server 'future' reserved word.

I also try to avoid using data types in column names. DATETIME is a
native Jet data type (and reserved word!) I think it would be fairly
intuitive in context that columns named 'Created' and 'Modified' were
of type DATETIME.

Jamie.

--
 
I guess we could extend Jamie's idea to WhenCreated, WhenModified; I'm also
keeping track of ModifiedBy <username>. The more intuitive / less
misleading the name, in my book, the better programming, easier maintenance.

Gary
 
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