Published on

October 4, 2007

Exploring Constants in SQL Server

When working with Microsoft SQL Server, developers often encounter the need for constants in their database programming. Constants are values that remain fixed and do not change during the execution of a program. While SQL Server offers various functionalities, it does not provide a built-in feature for constants. However, there are several approaches to simulate constants in SQL Server.

One common approach is to create a table to store the constants and use a user-defined function to retrieve the constant values. This method allows for flexibility and easy management of constants. However, it can result in repetitive disk access if the same constant value is retrieved multiple times.

A more efficient solution is available for SQL Server 2005 and newer versions. This solution leverages the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) integration in SQL Server. By creating a user-defined type using the .NET CLR, constants can be stored in a hash table-like structure. This approach minimizes disk access and simplifies the management of constants.

Let’s consider an example where we need to track address information for customers. We have two groups of constants: AddressType and Region. AddressType can have values like Home, Work, or Shipping, while Region can have values like Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific.

One way to distinguish these constants is by using dot-notation within a single constant field. For example, “Address.Work” represents the constant value for the address type “Work”. This approach allows for a single variable in the T-SQL code, reducing the number of variables and disk access.

Alternatively, constants can be stored in a table, providing a more dynamic means of managing them. This approach requires disk access every time a constant value is retrieved, but the results can be cached for improved performance.

Here is an example of how constants can be used in SQL Server:

DECLARE @Constants dbo.Type_HashTable
SET @Constants = dbo.GetConstants('')

SELECT addr.Line1, addr.Line2, addr.City, addr.State, addr.Zip
FROM Addresses addr
WHERE addr.AddressType = @Constants.GetValue('Address.Work')
AND addr.Region = @Constants.GetValue('Region.Central')

The above code demonstrates the usage of constants using dot-notation. The constant values are retrieved from the user-defined function “GetConstants” and stored in the variable “@Constants”. This approach simplifies the code and reduces disk access.

If you prefer to store constants in a table, you can use the following SQL:

CREATE TABLE dbo.Constants (
    [Key] NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
    [Value] NVARCHAR(50) NULL
)

INSERT INTO dbo.Constants ([Key], [Value])
VALUES ('Address.Work', '2'), ('Region.Central', '2')

In this case, the constant values are stored in the “Constants” table. The values can be retrieved using a SELECT statement and joined with other tables as needed.

By leveraging the .NET CLR integration in SQL Server, developers can effectively manage constants and simplify their database programming. Whether using dot-notation or a table-based approach, constants can be easily accessed and utilized in SQL Server.

Remember, SQL Server 2000 is no longer supported, so it is recommended to upgrade to a newer version to take advantage of these features.

Thank you for reading!

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