How to deal with SQL column names that look like SQL keywords?

Question

One of my columns is called from. I can't change the name because I didn't make it. Am I allowed to do something like SELECT from FROM TableName or is there a special syntax to avoid the SQL Server being confused?

Answer 1

Wrap the column name in brackets like so, from becomes [from].

select [from] from table;

It is also possible to use the following (useful when querying multiple tables):

select table.[from] from table;

Answer 2

If it had been in PostgreSQL, use double quotes around the name, like:

select "from" from "table";

Note: Internally PostgreSQL automatically converts all unquoted commands and parameters to lower case. That have the effect that commands and identifiers aren't case sensitive. sEleCt * from tAblE; is interpreted as select * from table;. However, parameters inside double quotes are used as is, and therefore ARE case sensitive: select * from "table"; and select * from "Table"; gets the result from two different tables.

Answer 3

These are the two ways to do it:

1. Use back quote as here:

SELECT `from` FROM TableName

2. You can mention with table name as:

SELECT TableName.from FROM TableName

Answer 4

While you are doing it - alias it as something else (or better yet, use a view or an SP and deprecate the old direct access method).

SELECT [from] AS TransferFrom -- Or something else more suitable
FROM TableName

Answer 5

Your question seems to be well answered here, but I just want to add one more comment to this subject.

Those designing the database should be well aware of the reserved keywords and avoid using them. If you discover someone using it, inform them about it (in a polite way). The keyword here is reserved word.

More information:

"Reserved keywords should not be used as object names. Databases upgraded from earlier versions of SQL Server may contain identifiers that include words not reserved in the earlier version, but that are reserved words for the current version of SQL Server. You can refer to the object by using delimited identifiers until the name can be changed." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms176027.aspx

and

"If your database does contain names that match reserved keywords, you must use delimited identifiers when you refer to those objects. For more information, see Identifiers (DMX)." http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms132178.aspx

Answer 6

In Apache Drill, use backquotes:

select `from` from table;

Answer 7

If you ARE using SQL Server, you can just simply wrap the square brackets around the column or table name.

select [select]
from [table]

Answer 8

I have also faced this issue. And the solution for this is to put [Column_Name] like this in the query.

string query= "Select [Name],[Email] from Person";

So it will work perfectly well.

Answer 9

Hi I work on Teradata systems that is completely ANSI compliant. Use double quotes " " to name such columns.

E.g. type is a SQL reserved keyword, and when used within quotes, type is treated as a user specified name.

See below code example:

CREATE TABLE alpha1
AS
(
SEL
product1
type_of_product AS "type"
FROM beta1
) WITH DATA
PRIMARY INDEX (product1)

--type is a SQL reserved keyword

TYPE

--see? now to retrieve the column you would use:

SEL "type" FROM alpha1

Answer 10

Some solid answers—but the most-upvoted one is parochial, only dealing with SQL Server. In summary:

• If you have source control, the best solution is to stick to the rules, and avoid using reserved words. This list has been around for ages, and covers most of the peculiarities. One tip is that reserved words are rarely plural—so you're usually safe using plural names. Exceptions are DIAGNOSTICS, SCHEMAS, OCTETS, OFFSETS, OPTIONS, VALUES, PARAMETERS, PRIVILEGES and also verb-like words that also appear plural: OVERLAPS, READS, RETURNS, TRANSFORMS.
• Many of us don't have the luxury of changing the field names. There, you'll need to know the details of the RDBM you're accessing:
• For SQL Server use [square_braces] around the name. This works in an ODBC connection too.
• For MySQL use `back_ticks`.
• Postgres, Oracle and several other RDBMs will apparently allow "double_quotes" to be used.

Dotting the offending word onto the table name may also work.

Answer 11

I ran in the same issue when trying to update a column which name was a keyword. The solution above didn't help me. I solved it out by simply specifying the name of the table like this:

UPDATE `survey`
SET survey.values='yes,no'
WHERE (question='Did you agree?')

Answer 12

The following will work perfectly:

SELECT DISTINCT table.from AS a FROM table

Answer 13

Simple solution

Lets say the column name is from ; So the column name in query can be referred by table alias

Select * from user u where u.from="US"

Answer 14

In MySQL, alternatively to using back quotes (`), you can use the UI to alter column names. Right click the table > Alter table > Edit the column name that contains sql keyword > Commit.

select [from] from <table>

As a note, the above does not work in MySQL

Answer 15

Judging from the answers here and my own experience. The only acceptable answer, if you're planning on being portable is don't use SQL keywords for table, column, or other names.

All these answers work in the various databases but apparently a lot don't support the ANSI solution.

Answer 16

You can put your column name in bracket like:

Select  [from] from < ur_tablename>

Or

Put in a temprary table then use as you like.
Example:

Declare @temp_table table(temp_from varchar(max))

Insert into @temp_table
Select * from your_tablename

Here I just assume that your_tablename contains only one column (i.e. from).

Answer 17

In Oracle SQL Developer, pl/sql you can do this with double quotes but if you use double quotes you must type the column names in upper case. For example, SELECT "FROM" FROM MY_TABLE