Is ID all capitalized when used in a paper or digital database?

[Zoli]

Hello,
Is the word "ID" all capitalized? I'm talking about the first column in a database which is a unique identifier, usually a decimal number.

ID   Name
1    John Doe
2    Sarah Smith
..

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, both letters must be capitalised, otherwise there's a danger it might be read as the common noun "id" which, at the beginning of a sentence or as a column heading, would be "Id". When you mean "identity" or "identity document", always capitalise both letters.

 

[Rover_KE]

Most initialisms are capitalised, even when they can't be mistaken for an actual. unrelated word, such as GP, MOT, RAC, or UNESCO.

Having said that, you will sometimes see some acronyms – widely used and understood in their context – written in lower-case letters, such as fifa, eufa, and ufo.

If in doubt, capitalise them—they will always be correct.