Work with aliases

Last modified: June 2, 2025

dbForge Studio can automatically generate aliases for all table objects referenced in the FROM clause, including tables, views, and table-valued functions. You can set up alias generation in the Options dialog.

Open the Options dialog

To open the Options dialog:

1. Navigate to the Tools menu and select Options.

2. In the Options dialog that opens, go to Text Editor > Code Completion > Alias.

3. Add or modify the alias.

4. To save the changes, select OK.

Automatic alias assignment

The table displays options available on the Code Completion > Text Editor > Alias page of the Options dialog.

When the Generate alias on commit checkbox is selected, the Studio operates as follows:

• Adds aliases to tables, views, table-valued functions, and synonyms: When the user selects a database object from the suggestion list, dbForge Studio automatically assigns an alias to it.

• Adds table alias to column names: When the user selects all columns using the asterisk (*) wildcard or individually selects specific columns from the suggestion list, dbForge Studio adds a table alias to each column name.

Alias generation rules

dbForge Studio applies a set of naming rules and heuristics to automatically generate aliases. Whenever possible, dbForge Studio generates aliases using the first letter of a table object name.

The table explains the rules for alias generation.

Custom alias mapping

You can manually set conditions for inserting an alias while writing a query using the Completion List in a SQL document.

To add a custom alias

1. Navigate to the Tools menu and select Options.

2. In the Options dialog that opens, navigate to Text Editor > Code Completion > Alias.

3. In the Condition column of the grid, specify the database object name (you may use a mask) to which you want to assign an alias.

4. In the Action column, specify the custom alias you prefer.

5. Select OK to save the changes.

When a custom alias is created, dbForge Studio assigns the alias name to an object referenced in a SQL statement according to a specified alias mask.

Note

Custom aliases have precedence over automatically created ones.

Alias refactoring

To rename an alias:

1. In the Code Editor, select the alias and press F2 - the alias will be highlighted.

2. Type a new name for the alias. As you type, a tooltip appears, prompting you to Press F2 to preview changes or Enter/Tab to apply.

3. Press F2 to open the Preview Changes - Rename dialog and preview code changes.

4. To apply the changes, press Apply. Alternatively, press Enter/Tab to apply the changes in the code.

To discard the changes, select Cancel.

Alias masks

dbForge Studio supports alias masks, allowing you to define custom rules for alias generation based on object naming patterns. These masks help manage how aliases are applied, especially when dealing with objects that share similar or identical names.

By using alias masks, you can define conditions and corresponding actions to control how aliases are assigned in different scenarios.

The following examples illustrate how condition masks work:

• <product> - exact match.
• <*product> - matches object names ending with “product”.
• <product*> - matches object names starting with “product”.
• <*product*> - matches object names, including “product”.
• <*> - matches any valid object name.
• <database>.<product> - specifies an exact match for the object name “product” with “database” as its prefix.
• <database*>.<product*> - matches object names where the prefix starts with “database” and the object name starts with “product.”

The following list demonstrates examples of the action masks:

• Id<1> - adds the prefix “Id” to a generated alias.
• <[Dept]1> - excludes “Dept” from a generated alias.

Rules for defining a condition in the Condition column

In the Condition column, you can define the criteria under which an alias will be applied based on the corresponding rule in the Action column. These rules are triggered when an identifier—such as a table, view, table-valued function, or synonym—is inserted into a SQL document from the Completion List.

For a condition to apply, its criteria must be fully satisfied. If the condition is met, dbForge Studio generates the alias specified in the Action column.

Note

Each identifier in the condition must be enclosed in angle brackets < >.

Note

The condition is case-insensitive, meaning it can be written in either lowercase or uppercase. The rule is applied based on the identifier name, regardless of its case.

Consider several examples to understand how to create custom aliases in the Options dialog.

Case 1: Generate an alias for the database object regardless of prefixes

To assign a custom alias, for example, NewAlias, to a database object–such as the Employee table–regardless of its server, schema, or database, use the following configuration.

Note

This rule applies to any object named Employee, regardless of which database or schema it belongs to.

Alias application example

When you write a SQL query and select employee from the Completion List, dbForge Studio automatically inserts the alias NewAlias:

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee NewAlias

SELECT * FROM sales.employee NewAlias

SELECT * FROM production.employee NewAlias

This ensures consistent aliasing of the employee object across different databases and schemas.

Case 2: Generate an alias for the database object from a specific database

To assign a custom alias, for example, NewAlias, specifically to the employee table from the sakila database, use the following configuration:

This condition applies only to the employee object in the sakila database. Objects with the same name in other databases will follow default alias generation rules.

Alias application example

The custom alias NewAlias is applied only when the employee table belongs to the sakila database. In all other cases, dbForge Studio generates aliases according to the standard rules.

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee NewAlias

SELECT * FROM sales.employee e

SELECT * FROM production.employee e

Case 3: Generate an alias for the database object with multiple prefixes

The Condition column can include up to three prefixes, such as a server, a database, and a schema, depending on how the object is referenced in the script. An alias is generated only when all specified prefixes are present in the SQL statement.

If the prefixes listed in the Condition column are matched exactly in the SQL statement, the corresponding alias will be applied. Otherwise, no alias will be generated.

For example, if the Condition column has the following criteria as shown in the screenshot:

Alias application example

The NewAlias alias is generated for the dev_rel_employee table only when the expression includes all prefixes specified in the Condition column:

SELECT * FROM production.dev_rel_employee AS NewAlias

If any prefix is missing from the object reference, the alias will not be generated. This ensures precise alias control when working with objects that may exist across multiple environments or schemas.

Case 4: Use an asterisk (*) for any characters in the condition

In the Condition column, you can use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match any sequence of characters before or after an identifier. The wildcard can be placed anywhere within angle brackets < >.

If we specify the following condition as shown in the screenshot:

This condition matches any object name that ends with employee, regardless of the server, database, or schema it belongs to.

Alias application example

The alias NewAlias is applied to any employee object, regardless of its fully qualified name or prefixes.

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee NewAlias

SELECT * FROM sales.employee NewAlias

SELECT * FROM production.employee NewAlias

Case 5: Use an asterisk (*) in the identifier name

You can use an asterisk (*) within an identifier name in the Condition column to match partial names. This allows you to generate aliases for multiple objects that share a common naming pattern.

This condition applies the alias NewAlias to all objects in the production database whose names start with emp.

Alias application example

SELECT * FROM production.employee_agent NewAlias

SELECT * FROM production.employee NewAlias

Note

The asterisk (*) can be used in any part of the identifier within angle brackets < >, enabling flexible matching patterns, such as <*name>, <na*me>, or <name*>.

Rules for defining an action in the Action column

The Action column lets you control how aliases are generated when a matching condition from the Condition column is met. In the Action column, you can do the following:

• Define a custom alias format

Specify the characters or structure that will be automatically applied as an alias when an identifier is inserted from the Completion List.

• Exclude parts of the identifier

To omit specific parts of an identifier from the alias, enclose them in square brackets [ ]. These excluded elements will not be used in alias generation.

• Target specific identifier segments/Use specific identifier elements/Define alias structure using identifier parts

You can refer to specific parts of the identifier, such as server, database, schema, or object name, to customize how the alias is constructed.

• Disable alias generation

Use No Alias to explicitly prevent alias generation for objects matching the corresponding condition in the Condition column.

Case 1: Use one element in the Action column

If the Condition column contains only one element, for example, an object identifier, the Action column will have the <1> value by default. This means that if you specify <1> in the Action column for this condition, an alias will be generated according to the standard alias generation algorithm.

Alias application example

SELECT * FROM production.employee AS e

Case 2: Add characters before or after one element

You can modify the generated alias by adding characters before or after the <1> placeholder in the Action column. These characters will be automatically included in the resulting alias.

Adding characters before or after <1> will automatically add those characters to the generated alias.

Example 1: Add characters after <1>

For example, add NewAlias after <1>.

This configuration adds NewAlias after the alias generated for employee.

Alias application example

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee eNewAlias

Example 2: Add characters before <1>

Writing NewAlias before <1> will generate the alias as follows.

This configuration places NewAlias before the alias generated for employee.

Alias application example

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee NewAliase

Case 3: Exclude any characters from the identifier element

To exclude specific characters from an identifier element defined in the Condition column, use the Action column to specify which part to omit. The excluded portion must be placed within square brackets [ ], and the entire element must be enclosed in angle brackets < >.

For example, exclude emp from the second identifier in this expression:

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee

The second identifier is employee. So, the following must be written in the Action column:

Alias application example

dbForge Studio will exclude emp from the second identifier when generating the alias. Thus, the next character after emp in the second identifier will be l.

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee l

Case 4: Add a static set of characters to the action

You can append a static set of characters to the alias by including them directly in the Action column. To add the static value NewAlias to the end of the generated alias, use the following configuration:

Alias application example

SELECT * FROM sakila.employee klNewAlias

The generated alias consists of the auto-generated value (kl) followed by the static string NewAlias.

Note

You can place static characters before, after, or between placeholder elements (<1>, <2>, etc.) to construct aliases in a consistent format.

Mask prioritization

User-defined alias masks take precedence over automated alias generation in dbForge Studio. Within the custom mask list, masks are evaluated from top to bottom, meaning the condition at the top of the list in the Condition column has the highest priority.

When multiple conditions match a database object, the first matched condition in the list determines the alias to be applied.

Example 1: Condition with higher priority

Now, consider the SQL statement:

SELECT * FROM Person.BusinessEntity

Since both conditions match (BusinessEntity starts with Business), Alias1 is applied because its condition appears higher in the list:

SELECT * FROM Person.BusinessEntity AS Alias1

Note

The AS clause is included automatically when the Automatically generate AS clause checkbox is selected on the Options > Text Editor > Code Completion > Alias dialog page.

Example 2: Reversed priority

If you reverse the order of the two conditions:

Then Alias2 will be applied instead, because <Business*> is now at the top:

SELECT * FROM Person.BusinessEntity AS Alias2

Note

The AS clause is included automatically when the Automatically generate AS clause checkbox is selected on the Options > Text Editor > Code Completion > Alias dialog page.

Tip

You can change the order of aliases using Move up and Move down next to the Alias grid on the Options > Text Editor > Code Completion > Alias dialog page.

Example: Prioritization in practice

Alias assignment logic

• alias1 is applied to all objects containing Person (highest priority).
• alias2 is applied to all objects whose names start with Product.
• alias3 is applied to objects starting with Product that belong to the Sales schema.