Using Fully Qualified Table Names

The SQL examples used thus far have referred to columns by just the column names. It is also possible to refer to columns using fully qualified names (using both the table and column names). Look at this example:

• Input

SELECT products.prod_name
FROM products;

This SQL statement is functionally identical to the very first one used in this chapter, but here a fully qualified column name is specified.

Table names, too, may be fully qualified, as seen here:

• Input

SELECT products.prod_name
FROM crashcourse.products;

Once again, this statement is functionally identical to the one just used (assuming, of course, that the products table is indeed in the crashcourse database).

There are situations where fully qualified names are required, as we will see in later chapters. For now, it is worth noting this syntax so you'll know what it is if you run across it.