Why use Select Top 100 Percent?

user_125484 0
Viewed 163952

I understand that prior to SQL Server 2005, you could "trick" SQL Server to allow use of an order by in a view definition, by also include TOP 100 PERCENT in the SELECT clause. But I have seen other code which I have inherited which uses SELECT TOP 100 PERCENT ... within dynamic SQL statements (used in ADO in ASP.NET apps, etc). Is there any reason for this? Isn't the result the same as not including the TOP 100 PERCENT?

tsql sql-server sql
10 Answers

The error says it all...

Msg 1033, Level 15, State 1, Procedure TestView, Line 5 The ORDER BY clause is invalid in views, inline functions, derived tables, subqueries, and common table expressions, unless TOP, OFFSET or FOR XML is also specified.

Don't use TOP 100 PERCENT, use TOP n, where N is a number

The TOP 100 PERCENT (for reasons I don't know) is ignored by SQL Server VIEW (post 2012 versions), but I think MS kept it for syntax reasons. TOP n is better and will work inside a view and sort it the way you want when a view is used initially, but be careful.

user_21811880

Just try this, it explains it pretty much itself. You can't create a view with an ORDER BY except if...

CREATE VIEW v_Test
         AS
           SELECT name
             FROM sysobjects
         ORDER BY name
        GO

Msg 1033, Level 15, State 1, Procedure TestView, Line 5 The ORDER BY clause is invalid in views, inline functions, derived tables, subqueries, and common table expressions, unless TOP, OFFSET or FOR XML is also specified.

user_91173780
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