Named Instance naming rules

Hi, I'm trying to wrap the MSDE command line installer with an
InstallShield setup. One of the requirements is that the user can choose to
install a named instance and can choose the name of the named instance.
Here's what I found on SQL BOL:
"A new instance name must begin with a letter, an ampersand (&), or an
underscore (_), and can contain numbers, letters, or other characters. SQL
Server sysnames and reserved names should not be used as instance names. For
example, the term "default" should not be used as an instance name because
it is a reserved name used by Setup."
That's a little vague for trying to write an installer. Does anyone know the
specific rules for a naming a named instance? For example - how long can the
name be? can there be spaces in the name? what exactly are "other
characters" - anything?
Refer "Instance Name" under "instance names" in BOL
Thanks
Ravi
"Andy Gaskell" wrote:

> Hi, I'm trying to wrap the MSDE command line installer with an
> InstallShield setup. One of the requirements is that the user can choose to
> install a named instance and can choose the name of the named instance.
> Here's what I found on SQL BOL:
> "A new instance name must begin with a letter, an ampersand (&), or an
> underscore (_), and can contain numbers, letters, or other characters. SQL
> Server sysnames and reserved names should not be used as instance names. For
> example, the term "default" should not be used as an instance name because
> it is a reserved name used by Setup."
> That's a little vague for trying to write an installer. Does anyone know the
> specific rules for a naming a named instance? For example - how long can the
> name be? can there be spaces in the name? what exactly are "other
> characters" - anything?
>
>
|||Thanks Ravi.
"Ravi" <Ravi@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AAC8D56C-739C-4C63-8EC2-AABF3937382F@.microsoft.com...[vbcol=seagreen]
> Refer "Instance Name" under "instance names" in BOL
> --
> Thanks
> Ravi
>
> "Andy Gaskell" wrote: