Fqn

Fqn stands for fully qualified name, a term used to describe a string that uniquely identifies a resource within a hierarchical naming system by including its entire path or scope. This comprehensive naming eliminates ambiguity about where the resource belongs.

In programming, FQNs are used to identify types, members, or entities by their namespace or package path. Examples include Java: java.util.List; C#: System.Collections.Generic.List; Python: mypackage.mymodule.MyClass. Some languages also allow FQNs for functions or members, aiding reflection, dynamic loading, or code navigation.

In databases and configuration contexts, FQNs often take the form database.schema.object, such as sales.public.orders or mydb.public.users. This three-part naming helps locate objects across catalogs or schemas, supporting unambiguous references in queries, migrations, and tooling.

A related but distinct concept is the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) used in networking, which identifies a host’s position in the DNS hierarchy, for example server.example.com. While the idea of hierarchical naming is shared, FQDN refers to network addressing, whereas FQN usually concerns code, data models, and object references.

Usage of FQNs improves disambiguation, enables precise resolution in reflection or serialization, and supports cross-environment references. They can be verbose and less portable, so many systems provide aliases or local names to map to the full qualified form.