# Database Object Case-Sensitivity

Database objects allow you to store, reference, and operate on data. For example, tables store data, views and indexes reference data, and stored procedures and functions operate on data. Columns are not database objects.

> **📝 Note**: You can only change the setting of the variable `table_name_case_sensitivity` when the cluster is empty. That is, the cluster must contain no user databases.

The engine variable `table_name_case_sensitivity` defines the case-sensitivity of a database object. When this variable is set to `ON` (the default setting), all database objects are case-sensitive, except:

* Stored procedures
* User-defined scalar-valued functions (UDFs)
* User-defined aggregate functions (UDAFs)
* `information_schema` table names

When the variable is set to `OFF`, the four database objects noted in the previous list are case-insensitive, in addition to the following database objects.

* Tables
* Views
* Table aliases
* User-defined table-valued functions (TVFs)
* External functions

Pipeline names are always case-sensitive.

The following example shows how you can refer to an existing table `test_table`. This example assumes `table_name_case_sensitivity` is set to `OFF`.

```sql
SELECT @@table_name_case_sensitivity;

```

```output

+-------------------------------+
| @@table_name_case_sensitivity |
+-------------------------------+
|                             0 |
+-------------------------------+
1 row in set (0.04 sec)
```

```sql
INSERT INTO Test_Table(a) VALUES (10);

```

```sql
SELECT * FROM TEST_Table;

```

When you create a database object which is not case-sensitive, you must use a unique and case-independent name. For example, when `table_name_case_sensitivity` is set to `OFF`, running the following two commands results in an error:

```sql
CREATE TABLE test_table_2(a INT);

```

```sql
CREATE TABLE test_TABLE_2(a INT);

```

 The following example illustrates that column names are not subject to case-sensitivity even when `table_name_case_sensitivity` is set to `ON`:

```sql
select @@table_name_case_sensitivity;
+-------------------------------+
| @@table_name_case_sensitivity |
+-------------------------------+
|                             1 |
+-------------------------------+
```

```sql
CREATE TABLE test_table_3 (a int, b INT);
```

```sql
INSERT INTO test_table_3 (a, b) VALUES (1, 2);
```

```sql
SELECT a, b FROM test_table_3;

```

```output

+------+------+
| a    | b    |
+------+------+
|    1 |    2 |
+------+------+

```

```sql
SELECT A, B FROM test_table_3;

```

```output

+------+------+
| A    | B    |
+------+------+
|    1 |    2 |
+------+------+

```

***

Modified at: April 11, 2024

Source: [/db/v9.1/reference/sql-reference/database-object-case-sensitivity/](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.1/reference/sql-reference/database-object-case-sensitivity/)

(An index of the documentation is available at /llms.txt)