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Rename user-defined functions

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Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database

You can only rename user-defined functions in SQL Server by using SQL Server Management Studio.

Limitations and restrictions

  • Function names must comply with the rules for identifiers.

  • Renaming a user-defined function won't change the name of the corresponding object name in the definition column of the sys.sql_modules catalog view. Therefore, we recommend that you don't rename this object type. Instead, drop and re-create the stored procedure with its new name.

  • Changing the name or definition of a user-defined function can cause dependent objects to fail when the objects aren't updated to reflect the changes that have been made to the function.

Permissions

Dropping the function requires either ALTER permission on the schema to which the function belongs, or CONTROL permission on the function. To re-create the function, requires CREATE FUNCTION permission in the database and ALTER permission on the schema in which the function is being created.

Use SQL Server Management Studio

  1. In Object Explorer, select the plus sign next to the database that contains the function you wish to rename and then

  2. Select the plus sign next to the Programmability folder.

  3. Select the plus sign next to the folder that contains the function you wish to rename:

    • Table-valued Function
    • Scalar-valued Function
    • Aggregate Function

  4. Right-click the function you wish to rename and select Rename.

  5. Enter the function's new name.

Use Transact-SQL

This task can't be performed using Transact-SQL statements. To rename a user-defined function using Transact-SQL, you must first delete the existing function, and then re-create it with the new name. Ensure that all code and applications that used the function's old name now use the new name.

For more information, see CREATE FUNCTION (Transact-SQL) and DROP FUNCTION (Transact-SQL).

See also