Writing SQL

Overview

All SQL in this project follows a strict vertical formatting style: every top-level keyword on its own line, everything beneath it indented.

No exceptions for short queries. A one-column, one-table, one-condition query gets the same formatting as a 10-join monster.

Rules

Keyword Casing

All SQL keywords UPPERCASE: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, CROSS JOIN, ON, AND, OR, NOT, IN, EXISTS, BETWEEN, LIKE, IS NULL, IS NOT NULL, INSERT INTO, VALUES, UPDATE, SET, DELETE FROM, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, HAVING, LIMIT, OFFSET, AS, CASE, WHEN, THEN, ELSE, END, UNION, UNION ALL, EXCEPT, INTERSECT, WITH, RECURSIVE, OVER, PARTITION BY, ROWS, RANGE, ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE, CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, DROP TABLE, ADD COLUMN, DROP COLUMN, MODIFY COLUMN, DEFAULT, NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, REFERENCES, AUTO_INCREMENT, ENGINE, CHARSET, COLLATE, INDEX, UNIQUE KEY, IF EXISTS, IF NOT EXISTS, CASCADE.

Vertical Layout

Every top-level clause keyword sits alone on its own line, flush left. Everything belonging to that clause is indented one level (4 spaces) below it.

Top-level clause keywords: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, HAVING, LIMIT, SET, VALUES, ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE.