SQL reserved words are special keywords that have specific meanings in SQL syntax. When you use them as column names, database engines can become
confused about whether you’re referring to the column or trying to use the SQL command.
This confusion leads to several problems:
- Syntax errors: Queries may fail to parse correctly, causing runtime errors
- Escaping requirements: You need to wrap column names in backticks or quotes, making queries harder to read
- Database portability issues: Different databases have different reserved word lists, so code may work on one database but fail
on another
- Developer confusion: Other team members may struggle to understand why certain queries need special escaping
The issue is particularly common with words like "order" (used for sorting), "group" (used for grouping), "release" (sounds like a good column name
but conflicts with transaction commands), and "select" (the most basic SQL command).
What is the potential impact?
Using SQL reserved words as column names can cause application crashes when queries fail to parse. This creates reliability issues and can lead to
unexpected downtime. The problem may not surface immediately during development but can appear later when more complex queries are written, making it
harder to debug and fix.
