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PRINT (Transact-SQL)

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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 SQL database in Microsoft Fabric

Returns a user-defined message to the client. For example, in SQL Server Management Studio, PRINT outputs to the Messages tab of the query results window.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

syntaxsql 
PRINT msg_str | @local_variable | string_expr

Arguments

msg_str

A character string or Unicode string constant. For more information, see Constants.

@local_variable

A variable of any valid character data type. @local_variable must be char, nchar, varchar, or nvarchar, or it must be able to be implicitly converted to those data types.

string_expr

An expression that returns a string. Can include concatenated literal values, functions, and variables. For more information, see Expressions.

Remarks

A message string can be up to 8,000 characters long if it's a non-Unicode string, and 4,000 characters long if it's a Unicode string. Longer strings are truncated. The varchar(max) and nvarchar(max) data types are truncated to data types that are no larger than varchar(8000) and nvarchar(4000).

RAISERROR can also be used to return messages. RAISERROR has these advantages over PRINT:

  • RAISERROR supports substituting arguments into an error message string using a mechanism modeled on the printf function of the C language standard library.

  • RAISERROR can specify a unique error number, a severity, and a state code in addition to the text message.

  • RAISERROR can be used to return user-defined messages created using the sp_addmessage (Transact-SQL) system stored procedure.

Examples

A. Conditionally executing print (IF EXISTS)

The following example uses the PRINT statement to conditionally return a message.

SQL 
IF @@OPTIONS & 512 <> 0
    PRINT N'This user has SET NOCOUNT turned ON.';
ELSE
    PRINT N'This user has SET NOCOUNT turned OFF.';
GO

B. Build and display a string

The following example converts the results of the GETDATE function to a nvarchar data type, and concatenates it with literal text, which is returned by PRINT.

SQL 
PRINT N'This message was printed on ' + RTRIM(CAST(GETDATE() AS NVARCHAR(30))) + N'.';
GO

The following example shows building the message text in a variable.

SQL 
DECLARE @PrintMessage NVARCHAR(50);
SET @PrintMessage = N'This message was printed on ' + RTRIM(CAST(GETDATE() AS NVARCHAR(30))) + N'.';
PRINT @PrintMessage;
GO

Examples: Azure Synapse Analytics and Analytics Platform System (PDW)

C. Conditionally execute print

The following example uses the PRINT statement to conditionally return a message.

SQL 
IF DB_ID() = 1
    PRINT N'The current database is ''master''.';
ELSE
    PRINT N'The current database is not ''master''.';
GO

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