Goal This query identifies database constraints that do not follow standard naming conventions, specifically those that fail to include the parent table's name. Incorporating the table name into the constraint identifier is crucial: it ensures name uniqueness across the entire schema and provides clear, user-friendly context when constraint violation errors are logged or displayed to end-users.
Notes The query considers only locally-defined constraints, i.e., constraints that are not inherited. The query considers a possibility that underscores (_) in the table name have been removed from the constraint/index name.
Type Problem detection Each row in the result could represent a flaw in the design
Reliability Medium Medium number of false-positive results
License MIT (opens in new tab)
Data Source system catalog only
SQL Query
WITH constraint_names AS (
select 
case when o.contype='p' then 'PRIMARY KEY'
when o.contype='u' then 'UNIQUE'
when o.contype='f' then 'FOREIGN KEY'
when o.contype='c' then 'TABLE CHECK'
when o.contype='x' then 'EXCLUDE'
when o.contype='t' then 'CONSTRAINT TRIGGER' END AS constraint_type,
(select nspname from pg_namespace where oid=o.connamespace) as table_schema,
c.relname AS table_name,
o.conname AS constraint_name
from pg_constraint o inner join pg_class c on c.oid = o.conrelid
where o.contype in ('p','u','c','f','x')
and conislocal=true
AND o.coninhcount = 0)

SELECT constraint_type, table_schema, table_name, constraint_name
FROM constraint_names
WHERE constraint_name NOT ILIKE  '%' || table_name || '%'
AND translate(constraint_name,'_','') NOT ILIKE  '%' || translate(table_name,'_','') || '%'
ORDER BY constraint_type, table_schema, table_name;

Fixing Suggestion

Use the table name in the constraint names and index names. A problem is that by default a PostgreSQL identifier may be at most 63 bytes long. Thus, in case of long table names one may have to shorten the name in the constraint or index names. It is important to do this consistently. Do not shorten the table name.

Collections

This query belongs to the following collections:

Find problems about names

A selection of queries that return information about the names of database objects. Contains all the types of queries - problem detection, software measure, and general overview.

Find problems automatically

Queries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

NameDescription
Find problems about namesA selection of queries that return information about the names of database objects. Contains all the types of queries - problem detection, software measure, and general overview.
Find problems automaticallyQueries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

Categories

This query is classified under the following categories:

Comfortability of database evolution

Queries of this category provide information about the means that influence database evolution.

Naming

Queries of this category provide information about the style of naming.

NameDescription
Comfortability of database evolutionQueries of this category provide information about the means that influence database evolution.
NamingQueries of this category provide information about the style of naming.