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I am developing a database application where a user should be able to store multiple ways of contacting someone in a database table.

This database table can for e.g. contain:

  • phone numbers
  • mobile numbers
  • email addresses
  • twitter IDs
  • facebook IDs
  • whatsapp numbers

Now I am looking for a table name. The obvious choice would be contacts. However, the term 'contacts' is used when referring to people and not ways of contacting this person.

I am looking for a single word to describe all ways of contacting a person.

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    It's contact information / details. And easily found when doing a tiny bit of research. – Helmar Nov 5 '16 at 12:15
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    Possible duplicate of What is one word for phone number, email address, skype? – user140086 Nov 5 '16 at 14:16
  • I've seen these called (informally) coordinates. – James McLeod Nov 5 '16 at 15:43
  • ..*ContactMode* – aparente001 Nov 6 '16 at 1:37
  • Also note: naming (including naming of tables) questions usually do not help anyone but the asker. They are off topic unless there is a clearly identified source of concern which would be interesting to many future visitors. – MetaEd Nov 7 '16 at 19:06
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You could use:

contact details

If this is too long you could shorten it to 'details' on its own.

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  • Though not a single word, I prefer contact details. "Details" (alone) is almost too generic, ie ambiguous IMO. – Leigh Nov 5 '16 at 20:20
  • Yeah that is a fair comment. I just suggested that incase his table titles had to be short @Leigh – CJF Nov 5 '16 at 20:25
  • Yes, thankfully most limits tend to be a bit larger than that. Even oracle allows 30 chars ;-). It is also important table names be descriptive, as there could be multiple entities all having different types of "details". If there was some context, like if this were a column within a table named "Contact", I think it would be a better fit :-) – Leigh Nov 5 '16 at 22:58
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How about "routes" or "channels".

Although you would not get to these words using a thesaurus from "contacts", they are common usage among computer programmers, although primarily in an electronic context rather than a database one, see Wikipedia.
Here is an example usage for "channel" that is almost exactly what you are asking for:

The better practice is to send the password "out of band", meaning that you send the file and the password by different communication channels; one on the internet, and one not. If you send the file by email, send the password by SMS, if the file is on a network share, write the password on paper and physically give it to them, etc.
- from Mike Ounsworth's comment on Security.SE

If the database user, as opposed to programmers, is given access to the database tables, then these suggestions would be inappropriate.

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