| title | ms.custom | ms.date | ms.prod | ms.prod_service | ms.reviewer | ms.technology | ms.topic | f1_keywords | dev_langs | helpviewer_keywords | ms.assetid | author | ms.author | monikerRange | ||||||||||||||
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Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs |
03/09/2018 |
sql |
database-engine, sql-database, sql-data-warehouse, pdw |
t-sql |
language-reference |
|
|
|
35fbcf7f-8b55-46cd-a957-9b8c7b311241 |
rothja |
jroth |
>=aps-pdw-2016||=azuresqldb-current||=azure-sqldw-latest||>=sql-server-2016||=sqlallproducts-allversions||>=sql-server-linux-2017||=azuresqldb-mi-current |
[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md]
The following table lists and describes conventions that are used in the syntax diagrams in the [!INCLUDEtsql] Reference.
| Convention | Used for |
|---|---|
| UPPERCASE | [!INCLUDEtsql] keywords. |
| italic | User-supplied parameters of [!INCLUDEtsql] syntax. |
| bold | Type database names, table names, column names, index names, stored procedures, utilities, data type names, and text exactly as shown. |
| underline | Indicates the default value applied when the clause that contains the underlined value is omitted from the statement. |
| | (vertical bar) | Separates syntax items enclosed in brackets or braces. You can use only one of the items. |
[ ] (brackets) |
Optional syntax items. Don't type the brackets. |
| { } (braces) | Required syntax items. Don't type the braces. |
| [,...n] | Indicates the preceding item can be repeated n number of times. The occurrences are separated by commas. |
| [...n] | Indicates the preceding item can be repeated n number of times. The occurrences are separated by blanks. |
| ; | [!INCLUDEtsql] statement terminator. Although the semicolon isn't required for most statements in this version of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion], it will be required in a future version. |
| <label> ::= | The name for a block of syntax. Use this convention to group and label sections of lengthy syntax or a unit of syntax that you can use in more than one location within a statement. Each location in which the block of syntax could be used is indicated with the label enclosed in chevrons: <label>. A set is a collection of expressions, for example <grouping set>; and a list is a collection of sets, for example <composite element list>. |
Unless specified otherwise, all [!INCLUDEtsql] references to the name of a database object can be a four-part name in the following form:
server_name.[database_name].[schema_name].object_name
| database_name.[schema_name].object_name
| schema_name.object_name
| object_name
server_name
Specifies a linked server name or remote server name.
database_name
Specifies the name of a [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] database when the object resides in a local instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. When the object is in a linked server, database_name specifies an OLE DB catalog.
schema_name
Specifies the name of the schema that contains the object if the object is in a [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] database. When the object is in a linked server, schema_name specifies an OLE DB schema name.
object_name
Refers to the name of the object.
When referencing a specific object, you don't always have to specify the server, database, and schema for the [!INCLUDEssDEnoversion] to identify the object. However, if the object can't be found, an error is returned.
Note
To avoid name resolution errors, we recommend specifying the schema name whenever you specify a schema-scoped object.
To omit intermediate nodes, use periods to indicate these positions. The following table shows the valid formats of object names.
| Object reference format | Description |
|---|---|
| server.database.schema.object | Four-part name. |
| server.database..object | Schema name is omitted. |
| server..schema.object | Database name is omitted. |
| server...object | Database and schema name are omitted. |
| database.schema.object | Server name is omitted. |
| database..object | Server and schema name are omitted. |
| schema.object | Server and database name are omitted. |
| object | Server, database, and schema name are omitted. |
Unless stated otherwise, the examples provided in the [!INCLUDEtsql] Reference were tested by using [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull] and its default settings for the following options:
- ANSI_NULLS
- ANSI_NULL_DFLT_ON
- ANSI_PADDING
- ANSI_WARNINGS
- CONCAT_NULL_YIELDS_NULL
- QUOTED_IDENTIFIER
Most code examples in the [!INCLUDEtsql] Reference have been tested on servers that are running a case-sensitive sort order. The test servers were typically running the ANSI/ISO 1252 code page.
Many code examples prefix Unicode character string constants with the letter N. Without the N prefix, the string is converted to the default code page of the database. This default code page may not recognize certain characters.
The [!INCLUDEtsql] reference includes articles related to [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] ([!INCLUDEssKatmai] and later), [!INCLUDEssSDSfull], and [!INCLUDEssSDWfull].
There's a section near the top of each article indicating which products support the article's subject. If a product is omitted, then the feature described by the article isn't available in that product. For example, availability groups were introduced in [!INCLUDEssSQL11]. The CREATE AVAILABILITY GROUP article indicates it applies to [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] ([!INCLUDEssSQL11] and later) because it doesn't apply to [!INCLUDEssKatmai], [!INCLUDEssKilimanjaro], or [!INCLUDEssSDSfull].
The general subject of the article might be used in a product, but all of the arguments aren't supported in some cases. For example, contained database users were introduced in [!INCLUDEssSQL11]. Use the CREATE USER statement in any [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] product, however the WITH PASSWORD syntax can't be used with older versions. Additional Applies to sections are inserted into the appropriate argument descriptions in the body of the article.
Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)
Reserved Keywords (Transact SQL)
Transact-SQL Design Issues
Transact-SQL Naming Issues
Transact-SQL Performance Issues