Transact-SQL reference (Database Engine)
Applies to:
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric
Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric
This article gives the basics about how to find and use the Microsoft Transact-SQL (T-SQL) reference articles. T-SQL is central to using Microsoft SQL products and services. All tools and applications that communicate with a SQL Server database do so by sending T-SQL commands.
T-SQL compliance with the SQL standard
For detailed technical documents about how certain standards are implemented in SQL Server, see the Microsoft SQL Server Standards Support documentation.
Tools that use T-SQL
Some of the Microsoft tools that issue T-SQL commands are:
Locate the Transact-SQL reference articles
To find T-SQL articles, use search at the top right of this page, or use the table of contents on the left side of the page. You can also type a T-SQL key word in the Management Studio Query Editor window, and press F1.
Find system views
To find the system tables, views, functions, and procedures, see these links, which are in the Using relational databases section of the SQL documentation.
- System catalog Views
- System compatibility views
- System dynamic management views
- System functions
- System information schema views
- System stored procedures
- System tables
"Applies to" references
The T-SQL reference articles encompass multiple versions of SQL Server, starting with 2008, and the other Azure SQL services. Near the top of each article, is a section that indicates which products and services support subject of the article.
For example, this article applies to all versions, and has the following label.
Applies to:
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
Another example, the following label indicates an article that applies only to Azure Synapse Analytics and Parallel Data Warehouse.
Applies to:
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
In some cases, the article is used by a product or service, but all of the arguments aren't supported. In this case, other Applies to sections are inserted into the appropriate argument descriptions in the body of the article.
Get help from Microsoft Q & A
For online help, see the Microsoft Q & A Transact-SQL Forum.
See other language references
The SQL docs include these other language references:
- XQuery Language Reference
- Integration Services Language Reference
- Replication Language Reference
- Analysis Services Language Reference