Sql-server – Temporary function or stored procedure in T-SQL

sql serverstored-procedurestsql

Is there any chance to create temporary stored procedure or function on MS SQL 2005? I would like to use this stored procedure only in my query so after execution it will be gone.

I have a query I would like to EXEC against some data. But for every table I will process this command, I need to change some parts of it. So I thought I would create temporary SP that would return for me a query from arguments I provide (like table name and so on) and than execute this query by EXEC.

And this stored procedure will be not useful for me later so I would like to have it temporary so that when I end executing my query – it will disappear.

Best Answer

This question is a bit old, but the other answers failed to provide the syntax for creating temporary procedures. The syntax is the same as for temporary tables: #name for local temporary objects, ##name for global temporary objects.

CREATE PROCEDURE #uspMyTempProcedure AS
BEGIN
  print 'This is a temporary procedure'
END

This is described in the "Procedure Name" section of the official documentation. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187926%28v=sql.90%29.aspx

I'm using this technique to deduplicate the code for my primitive T-SQL unit tests. A real unit testing framework would be better, but this is better than nothing and "garbage collects" after itself.

Syntax:

ALTER TABLE {TABLENAME} 
ADD {COLUMNNAME} {TYPE} {NULL|NOT NULL} 
CONSTRAINT {CONSTRAINT_NAME} DEFAULT {DEFAULT_VALUE}
WITH VALUES

Example:

ALTER TABLE SomeTable
        ADD SomeCol Bit NULL --Or NOT NULL.
 CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol --When Omitted a Default-Constraint Name is autogenerated.
    DEFAULT (0)--Optional Default-Constraint.
WITH VALUES --Add if Column is Nullable and you want the Default Value for Existing Records.

Notes:

Optional Constraint Name:
If you leave out CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol then SQL Server will autogenerate
a Default-Contraint with a funny Name like: DF__SomeTa__SomeC__4FB7FEF6

Optional With-Values Statement:
The WITH VALUES is only needed when your Column is Nullable
and you want the Default Value used for Existing Records.
If your Column is NOT NULL, then it will automatically use the Default Value
for all Existing Records, whether you specify WITH VALUES or not.

How Inserts work with a Default-Constraint:
If you insert a Record into SomeTable and do not Specify SomeCol's value, then it will Default to 0.
If you insert a Record and Specify SomeCol's value as NULL (and your column allows nulls),
then the Default-Constraint will not be used and NULL will be inserted as the Value.

Notes were based on everyone's great feedback below.
Special Thanks to:
@Yatrix, @WalterStabosz, @YahooSerious, and @StackMan for their Comments.

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))

for example

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))

gives me

2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

Pros:

No varchar<->datetime conversions required
No need to think about locale

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Sql – Add a column with a default value to an existing table in SQL Server

Syntax:

Example:

Notes:

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

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