Add or remove backticks for identifiers

The Add or remove backticks for identifiers feature enables you to add or remove backticks for identifiers within the current SQL document or a selected code block, without changing their case. This feature doesn’t affect text in strings (' '), quotes (" "), or comments (--, /* */). It also doesn’t change the original identifier case.

Add backticks to identifiers

You can add backticks to all identifiers in one of these ways:

• In the top menu, select Edit > Advanced > Add Backticks to All Identifiers.
• Right-click anywhere in a SQL document and select Refactoring > Add Backticks to All Identifiers.
• Press Ctrl+K, Ctrl+[.

Tip

To undo the change, press Ctrl+Z. The script returns to its previous state, and the cursor position remains unchanged.

Remove backticks from identifiers

You can remove unnecessary backticks from all identifiers in one of these ways:

• In the top menu, select Edit > Advanced > Remove Unnecessary Backticks.
• Right-click anywhere in a SQL document and select Refactoring > Remove Unnecessary Backticks.
• Press Ctrl+K, Ctrl+].

Note

Remove Unnecessary Backticks doesn’t affect identifiers that:

• Contain spaces.
• Contain special symbols, for example, @, $, or %.
• Match the keywords, for example, SELECT or FROM.

Example

The following script shows identifiers before backticks are added:

SELECT a.actor_id,
a.first_name,
a.last_name,
a.last_update
FROM `actor` a;
 
SET @SQL_QUERY = 'SELECT first_name, `last_name`
FROM customer WHERE customer.customer_id = 1;';
 
SELECT @SQL_QUERY;
 
CREATE TABLE `SELECT` (`ORDER` INT PRIMARY KEY, test VARCHAR(50));

After you use Add Backticks to All Identifiers, all applicable identifiers are enclosed in backticks automatically.

SELECT `a`.`actor_id`,
`a`.`first_name`,
`a`.`last_name`,
`a`.`last_update`
FROM `actor` `a`;
 
SET @SQL_QUERY = 'SELECT first_name, `last_name`
FROM customer WHERE customer.customer_id = 1;';
 
SELECT @SQL_QUERY;
 
CREATE TABLE `SELECT` (`ORDER` INT PRIMARY KEY, `test` VARCHAR(50));