SQL Server is a powerful and versatile database management system that allows developers to store, retrieve, and manipulate data. However, even experienced developers can encounter errors that can be challenging to troubleshoot. In this article, we will explore an interesting error that one of my friends faced and how we resolved it.

My friend was working with a stored procedure that had thousands of lines of code, including various views and functions. He encountered the following error message: “Msg 1060, Level 15, State 1, Line 3 The number of rows provided for a TOP or FETCH clauses row count parameter must be an integer.”

At first glance, the code seemed fine:

SET @param = 100
SELECT TOP (@param) *
FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail sod

However, the error persisted. We decided to dig deeper and examine the code more closely. It is common practice for developers to declare all variables at the top of the page and later use them in the code. After a few more attempts, my friend discovered that the variable @param was declared as a FLOAT.

The error message clearly indicated that the parameter passed in the TOP clause should be an integer. Even though the value assigned to @param was an integer, the data type of @param was FLOAT, which caused the error.

To resolve the error, we needed to change the data type of @param to INT:

DECLARE @param INT
SET @param = 100
SELECT TOP (@param) *
FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail sod

After making this change, the error was resolved.

This example highlights the importance of paying attention to data types in SQL Server. Even a seemingly small oversight can lead to unexpected errors. It is crucial to ensure that the data types of variables and parameters align with the requirements of the SQL statements being executed.

Next time you encounter an error in SQL Server, remember to carefully review the code and check for any data type mismatches. This simple step can save you valuable time and frustration in troubleshooting and resolving the issue.