USER (Transact-SQL)
Allows a system-supplied value for the database user name of the current user to be inserted into a table when no default value is specified.
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Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions
Syntax
USER
Return Types
char
Remarks
USER provides the same functionality as the USER_NAME system function.
Use USER with DEFAULT constraints in either the CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE statements, or use as any standard function.
USER always returns the name of the current context. When called after an EXECUTE AS statement, USER returns the name of the impersonated context.
If a Windows principal accesses the database by way of membership in a group, USER returns the name of the Windows principal instead of the name of the group.
Examples
A. Using USER to return the database user name
The following example declares a variable as char, assigns the current value of USER to it, and then prints the variable with a text description.
DECLARE @usr char(30)
SET @usr = user
SELECT 'The current user''s database username is: '+ @usr
GO
Here is the result set.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The current user's database username is: dbo
(1 row(s) affected)
B. Using USER with DEFAULT constraints
The following example creates a table by using USER as a DEFAULT constraint for the salesperson of a sales row.
USE AdventureWorks;
GO
CREATE TABLE inventory22
(
part_id int IDENTITY(100, 1) NOT NULL,
description varchar(30) NOT NULL,
entry_person varchar(30) NOT NULL DEFAULT USER
)
GO
INSERT inventory22 (description)
VALUES ('Red pencil')
INSERT inventory22 (description)
VALUES ('Blue pencil')
INSERT inventory22 (description)
VALUES ('Green pencil')
INSERT inventory22 (description)
VALUES ('Black pencil')
INSERT inventory22 (description)
VALUES ('Yellow pencil')
GO
This is the query to select all information from the inventory22 table:
SELECT * FROM inventory22 ORDER BY part_id;
GO
Here is the result set (note the entry-person value):
part_id description entry_person
----------- ------------------------------ -------------------------
100 Red pencil dbo
101 Blue pencil dbo
102 Green pencil dbo
103 Black pencil dbo
104 Yellow pencil dbo
(5 row(s) affected)
C. Using USER in combination with EXECUTE AS
The following example illustrates the behavior of USER when called inside an impersonated session.
SELECT USER;
GO
EXECUTE AS USER = 'Mario';
GO
SELECT USER;
GO
REVERT;
GO
SELECT USER;
GO
Here is the result set.
DBO
Mario
DBO
See Also
Reference
ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL)
CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP (Transact-SQL)
CURRENT_USER (Transact-SQL)
Security Functions (Transact-SQL)
SESSION_USER (Transact-SQL)
SYSTEM_USER (Transact-SQL)
USER_NAME (Transact-SQL)
Other Resources
Creating and Modifying PRIMARY KEY Constraints
Modifying Column Properties