Feature Overview: Universally Unique ID (UUID) for Records (#23741)

Overview

This feature adds a new data field called RecordID throughout the system to store data to Indicate that the column holds unique identifiers for individual records.

In this Topic:

Introduction
Benefit of RecordID
Naming Conventions

Introduction:

When designing a database schema, choosing appropriate names for columns is crucial for clarity and maintainability. One common scenario is naming the column that stores unique identifiers for individual records within a table. In this context, RecordID emerges as a compelling option due to its intuitive usage and clear indication of purpose.

Benefit of `RecordID`:

Clarity: The term RecordID clearly communicates that the column contains identifiers for individual records.
Intuitiveness: It is easy for developers and database users to understand that RecordID uniquely identifies each record.
Consistency: RecordID follows a common naming convention, promoting consistency across the database schema.
Direct Referencing: When used as a foreign key in other tables, RecordID naturally implies a direct reference to individual records.
Uniqueness: RecordID is essentially universally unique and thus can be confidently used as a reference key value when working with external systems or when field verification must be absolute.

Naming Convention:

Main RecordID:

Within a table where records are stored, the unique identifier column is simply named “RecordID.” This convention provides a clear and concise label for the primary key of the table.

When referencing records from another table, the naming convention [Entity]_RecordID is employed. Here, “[Entity]” represents the name of the related entity or table, and “_RecordID” indicates that the column serves as a reference to the primary key of that entity.

Example:

ARC_OrderHeader referencing CUS_Account:

Primary Table: In the CUS_Account table, each record represents an account belonging to a user. The column, which uniquely identifies each account, is named RecordID.
Related Table: In the ARC_OrderHeader table, which stores archived orders, there is a need to reference the account associated with each order. To achieve this, a column is introduced, named Account_RecordID, following the convention {Entity}_RecordID. This column links to the RecordID column in the CUS_Account table.