How to Set Special Character Support in VDM

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Article Goal

To show users how to configure the Special Character Support setting in VDM, which controls whether quotes or brackets are automatically placed around table and field names in SQL queries.

What Is Special Character Support in VDM?

Special Character Support is a setting in VDM that enables VDM to wrap all table and field names in either double quotes (" ") or square brackets ([ ]) during SQL generation.

Why Use Special Character Support?

Some databases require table and field names to be quoted or bracketed due to:

• Reserved keywords in names (e.g., order, group)

• Special characters or spaces in identifiers

• Case sensitivity requirements in SQL engines

Enabling Special Character Support ensures that VDM generates SQL syntax compatible with those databases.

✅ This setting is particularly helpful when working with databases that have naming rules or restrictions.

⚠️ InterSystems Users:
Enabling Special Character Support for InterSystems Caché, IRIS, or DeepSee will prevent VDM from displaying Tables and Fields. If you're unable to view your schema, ensure Special Character Support is set to False.

Video Tutorial:

Not yet available.

Steps to Enable or Disable Special Character Support

Step 1. Open VDM Settings: Click on the Settings menu.

⚙️ This will open the configuration options for your VDM environment.

Step 2: Set the Special Character Support Option: Locate the Special Character Support setting.

• Set it to True if your database requires table/field names to be enclosed in quotes or brackets

• Set it to False if your database does not require special character syntax

Step 3: (Optional) Enable Use Brackets Instead of Quotes: If you prefer or require the use of square brackets [ ] instead of double quotes " ":

• Set Use Brackets to True

🧠 This is commonly used for SQL Server or databases that support bracket-style escaping.

What to Expect After Changing the Setting

• When enabled, VDM will automatically wrap all identifiers in queries with either quotes or brackets.

• When disabled, VDM will generate SQL without extra characters around table and field names.

• These settings impact how queries are interpreted by your database engine and should be configured accordingly.

Article Summary

This article explains how to configure Special Character Support in VDM to wrap table and field names in quotes or brackets during SQL query generation. This setting helps avoid syntax issues in databases with reserved keywords, special characters, or case sensitivity. It also provides guidance for InterSystems users, who must ensure the feature is disabled for proper schema visibility.