---
title: "Naming conventions"
url: "https://altiumdeveloper.github.io/octopart-api-docs/guides/naming-conventions"
bounded_context: "none"
kind: "guide"
experimental: false
deprecated: false
---

# Naming conventions

Names in the Octopart API follow a few patterns. Once you know them, the operation you need is usually easy to guess.

## Prefixes

Every operation and type name starts with the domain that owns it, then the area within that domain:

| Prefix | Domain | Examples |
| - | - | - |
| `sup` / `Sup` | Supply data | `supSearch`, `SupPart`, `SupOffer` |
| `supPartFamily`, `supPartGroup` | Part families | `supPartFamilySearch`, `SupPartGroup` |
| `supRef` | Reference designs | `supRefDesignById`, `SupRefDesign` |
| `supSolutionTemplate` | Solution templates | `supSolutionTemplateById`, `SupSolutionTemplate` |
| `supEvalKit` | Evaluation kits | `supEvalKitById`, `SupEvalKit` |
| `supSoftwareProject` | Software projects | `supSoftwareProjectById`, `SupSoftwareProject` |
| `datBom` / `DatBom` | Procurement: BOM analysis | `datBomParts`, `DatBomPart` |

Search on this site ignores the prefixes: typing `part family` finds `SupPartFamily`.

## Queries

| Pattern | Returns | Example |
| - | - | - |
| `…ById(id:)` | One item, or `null` | `supRefDesignById`, `supSolutionTemplateById` |
| `…ByIds(ids:)` | A list | `supSolutionTemplatesByIds`, `supSoftwareProjectsByIds` |
| `…ByName(name:)` | One item | `supRefDesignByName`, `supPartGroupByName` |
| `…Search` | A result set or a connection | `supPartFamilySearch`, `supSolutionTemplateSearch` |

For parts, `supParts(ids:)` looks up by Octopart part id, and `supSearchMpn` and `supMultiMatch` look up by manufacturer part number:

```graphql
query PartsByIdAndMpn {
  supParts(ids: ["39619421"]) {
    id
    mpn
  }
  supMultiMatch(queries: [{ mpn: "LM358", start: 0, limit: 1 }]) {
    hits
    parts {
      id
      mpn
    }
  }
}
```

## Mutations

Mutations take a single `input` argument of type `…Input!` and return a `…Payload!`:

```graphql
type Mutation {
  supSolutionTemplateSetTags(input: SupSolutionTemplateSetTagsInput!): SupSolutionTemplateSetTagsPayload!
}
```

Collections of a solution template, an evaluation kit or a software project have two mutations:

- **Set** replaces the whole collection: `supSolutionTemplateSetTags` takes the full `tags` list.
- **Patch** adds and removes items: `supSolutionTemplatePatchTags` takes `addTags` and `removeTags`.

Payloads carry an `errors` list typed as a union of the errors that the mutation can return. See [Errors](https://altiumdeveloper.github.io/octopart-api-docs/guides/errors.md).