title: What are the pros/cons of using a synonym vs. a view?
body: <p>This is a generic database design question - What are the benefits of using a synonym in database development, over a simple view?  What are the main considerations to keep in mind when choosing between the two?</p>
  
  <p>An example <strong>view</strong>:</p>
  
  <pre><code>CREATE VIEW Users AS
  SELECT * FROM IdentitySystem.dbo.Users
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And the equivalent synonym:</p>
  
  <pre><code>CREATE SYNONYM Users 
  FOR IdentitySystem.dbo.LCTs
  </code></pre>