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Remove case-sensitivity across the product

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Greg Low on 18 Feb 2023 04:05:04

One of the real potential benefits of this product is that it combines a set of otherwise separate tools. However, it is important that it doesn't end up looking like a set of separate tools cobbled together.


Yet another area where this is apparent is where some tools use case-sensitive naming, others don't.


I believe that case-sensitivity has absolutely no place in an analytic set of tools like this. It's simply never human-friendly.


All case-sensitivity gives you is the ability to have two things in the same scope with the same name, only differing by case. That's never been a good idea, and is a result of lazy coding in the past, particularly from Unix/C backgrounds.


https://blog.greglow.com/2018/12/04/opinion-case-sensitivity-is-a-pox-on-computing/


Case-preservation is critical (i.e. remember the case that something is defined with and always return that), but case-sensitivity should not be apparent to users.


At present, there is a mix amongst the tools on how case-sensitivity is handled. This needs to be cleaned up.

Comments (3)
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Gilbert Quevauvilliers on 13 Feb 2024 05:43:01

RE: Remove case-sensitivity across the product

I also feel it is critical to simplify the query experience for users. By removing the case-sensitivity it makes it easier to use.

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Derek van Leeuwen on 15 Dec 2023 14:18:45

RE: Remove case-sensitivity across the product

agreed, in the sql warehouse endpoint it definately doesn't make sense--not works: select [category] from [table1]--works:select [Category] from [table1] in sql server, we can just use uppercase and lowercase column names in select statements without issue.

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Greg Low on 18 Feb 2023 04:05:40

RE: Remove case-sensitivity across the product

At the very least, case-sensitivity should NEVER be the default for any of the tools.