sp_describe_first_result_set (Transact-SQL)

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

Returns the metadata for the first possible result set of the Transact-SQL batch. Returns an empty result set if the batch returns no results. Raises an error if the Database Engine can't determine the metadata for the first query that will be executed by performing a static analysis. The dynamic management view sys.dm_exec_describe_first_result_set returns the same information.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

sp_describe_first_result_set [ @tsql = ] N'tsql'
    [ , [ @params = ] N'@parameter_name data_type [ , ... n ]' ]
    [ , [ @browse_information_mode = ] <tinyint> ]
[ ; ]

Arguments

[ @tsql = ] 'tsql'

One or more Transact-SQL statements. @tsql might be nvarchar(n) or nvarchar(max).

[ @params = ] N'@parameter_name data_type [ , ... n ]'

@params provides a declaration string for parameters for the Transact-SQL batch, which is similar to sp_executesql. Parameters might be nvarchar(n) or nvarchar(max).

A string that contains the definitions of all parameters that are embedded in @tsql. The string must be either a Unicode constant or a Unicode variable. Each parameter definition consists of a parameter name and a data type. n is a placeholder that indicates additional parameter definitions. Every parameter specified in the statement must be defined in @params. If the Transact-SQL statement or batch in the statement doesn't contain parameters, @params isn't required. NULL is the default value for this parameter.

[ @browse_information_mode = ] tinyint

Specifies if extra key columns and source table information are returned. If set to 1, each query is analyzed as if it includes a FOR BROWSE option on the query.

• If set to 0, no information is returned.

• If set to 1, each query is analyzed as if it includes a FOR BROWSE option on the query. This returns base table names as the source column information.

• If set to 2, each query is analyzed as if it would be used in preparing or executing a cursor. This returns view names as source column information.

Return code values

sp_describe_first_result_set always returns a status of zero on success. If the procedure throws an error and the procedure is called as an RPC, return status is populated by the type of error described in the error_type column of sys.dm_exec_describe_first_result_set. If the procedure is called from Transact-SQL, the return value is always zero, even when there's an error.

Result set

This common metadata is returned as a result set with one row for each column in the results metadata. Each row describes the type and nullability of the column in the format described in the following section. If the first statement doesn't exist for every control path, a result set with zero rows is returned.

Column name	Data type	Description
is_hidden	bit	Indicates that the column is an extra column added for browsing information purposes and that it doesn't actually appear in the result set. Not nullable.
column_ordinal	int	Contains the ordinal position of the column in the result set. The first column's position is specified as 1. Not nullable.
name	sysname	Contains the name of the column if a name can be determined. Otherwise, it contains NULL. Nullable.
is_nullable	bit	Contains the value 1 if the column allows NULL, 0 if the column doesn't allow NULL, and 1 if it can't be determined if the column allows NULL. Not nullable.
system_type_id	int	Contains the system_type_id of the data type of the column as specified in sys.types. For CLR types, even though the system_type_name column returns NULL, this column returns the value 240. Not nullable.
system_type_name	nvarchar(256)	Contains the name and arguments (such as length, precision, scale), specified for the data type of the column. If the data type is a user-defined alias type, the underlying system type is specified here. If it's a CLR user-defined type, NULL is returned in this column. Nullable.
max_length	smallint	Maximum length (in bytes) of the column. -1 = Column data type is varchar(max), nvarchar(max), varbinary(max), or xml. For text columns, the max_length value is 16 or the value set by sp_tableoption 'text in row'. Not nullable.
precision	tinyint	Precision of the column if numeric-based. Otherwise returns 0. Not nullable.
scale	tinyint	Scale of column if numeric-based. Otherwise returns 0. Not nullable.
collation_name	sysname	Name of the collation of the column if character-based. Otherwise returns NULL. Nullable.
user_type_id	int	For CLR and alias types, contains the user_type_id of the data type of the column as specified in sys.types. Otherwise is NULL. Nullable.
user_type_database	sysname	For CLR and alias types, contains the name of the database in which the type is defined. Otherwise is NULL. Nullable.
user_type_schema	sysname	For CLR and alias types, contains the name of the schema in which the type is defined. Otherwise is NULL. Nullable.
user_type_name	sysname	For CLR and alias types, contains the name of the type. Otherwise is NULL. Nullable.
assembly_qualified_type_name	nvarchar(4000)	For CLR types, returns the name of the assembly and class defining the type. Otherwise is NULL. Nullable.
xml_collection_id	int	Contains the xml_collection_id of the data type of the column as specified in sys.columns. This column returns NULL if the type returned isn't associated with an XML schema collection. Nullable.
xml_collection_database	sysname	Contains the database in which the XML schema collection associated with this type is defined. This column returns NULL if the type returned isn't associated with an XML schema collection. Nullable.
xml_collection_schema	sysname	Contains the schema in which the XML schema collection associated with this type is defined. This column returns NULL if the type returned isn't associated with an XML schema collection. Nullable.
xml_collection_name	sysname	Contains the name of the XML schema collection associated with this type. This column returns NULL if the type returned isn't associated with an XML schema collection. Nullable.
is_xml_document	bit	Returns 1 if the returned data type is XML and that type is guaranteed to be a complete XML document (including a root node), as opposed to an XML fragment. Otherwise returns 0. Not nullable.
is_case_sensitive	bit	Returns 1 if the column is a case-sensitive string type and 0 if it's not. Not nullable.
is_fixed_length_clr_type	bit	Returns 1 if the column is a fixed-length CLR type and 0 if it's not. Not nullable.
source_server	sysname	Name of the originating server returned by the column in this result (if it originates from a remote server). The name is given as it appears in sys.servers. Returns NULL if the column originates on the local server or if it can't be determined which server it originates on. Is only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
source_database	sysname	Name of the originating database returned by the column in this result. Returns NULL if the database can't be determined. Is only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
source_schema	sysname	Name of the originating schema returned by the column in this result. Returns NULL if the schema can't be determined. Is only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
source_table	sysname	Name of the originating table returned by the column in this result. Returns NULL if the table can't be determined. Is only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
source_column	sysname	Name of the originating column returned by the result column. Returns NULL if the column can't be determined. Is only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
is_identity_column	bit	Returns 1 if the column is an identity column and 0 if not. Returns NULL if it can't be determined that the column is an identity column. Nullable.
is_part_of_unique_key	bit	Returns 1 if the column is part of a unique index (including unique and primary constraint) and 0 if not. Returns NULL if it can't be determined that the column is part of a unique index. Only populated if browsing information is requested. Nullable.
is_updateable	bit	Returns 1 if the column is updateable and 0 if not. Returns NULL if it can't be determined that the column is updateable. Nullable.
is_computed_column	bit	Returns 1 if the column is a computed column and 0 if not. Returns NULL if it can't be determined that the column is a computed column. Nullable.
is_sparse_column_set	bit	Returns 1 if the column is a sparse column and 0 if not. Returns NULL if it can't be determined that the column is part of a sparse column set. Nullable.
ordinal_in_order_by_list	smallint	Position of this column in ORDER BY list. Returns NULL if the column doesn't appear in the ORDER BY list or if the ORDER BY list can't be uniquely determined. Nullable.
order_by_list_length	smallint	Length of the ORDER BY list. Returns NULL if there's no ORDER BY list or if the ORDER BY list can't be uniquely determined. This value is the same for all rows returned by sp_describe_first_result_set. Nullable.
order_by_is_descending	smallint	If the ordinal_in_order_by_list isn't NULL, the order_by_is_descending column reports the direction of the ORDER BY clause for this column. Otherwise it reports NULL. Nullable.
tds_type_id	int	For internal use. Not nullable.
tds_length	int	For internal use. Not nullable.
tds_collation_id	int	For internal use. Nullable.
tds_collation_sort_id	tinyint	For internal use. Nullable.

Remarks

sp_describe_first_result_set guarantees that if the procedure returns the first result-set metadata for (a hypothetical) batch A and if that batch (A) is then executed, the batch either:

• raises an optimization-time error
• raises a run-time error
• returns no result set
• returns a first result set with the same metadata described by sp_describe_first_result_set

The name, nullability, and data type can differ. If sp_describe_first_result_set returns an empty result set, the guarantee is that the batch execution returns no-result sets.

This guarantee presumes there are no relevant schema changes on the server. Relevant schema changes on the server don't include creating a temporary tables or table variables in the batch A between the time that sp_describe_first_result_set is called and the time that the result set is returned during execution, including schema changes made by batch B.

sp_describe_first_result_set returns an error in any of the following cases:

• The input @tsql isn't a valid Transact-SQL batch. Validity is determined by parsing and analyzing the Transact-SQL batch. Any errors caused by the batch during query optimization or during execution aren't considered when determining whether the Transact-SQL batch is valid.

• @params isn't NULL and contains a string that isn't a syntactically valid declaration string for parameters, or if it contains a string that declares any parameter more than one time.

• The input Transact-SQL batch declares a local variable of the same name as a parameter declared in @params.

• The statement uses a temporary table.

• The query includes the creation of a permanent table that is then queried.

If all other checks succeed, all possible control flow paths inside the input batch are considered. This takes into account all control flow statements (GOTO, IF/ELSE, WHILE, and Transact-SQL TRY/CATCH blocks) as well as any procedures, dynamic Transact-SQL batches, or triggers invoked from the input batch by an EXEC statement, a DDL statement that causes DDL triggers to be fired, or a DML statement that causes triggers to be fired on a target table or on a table that is modified because of cascading action on a foreign key constraint. At some point, as with many possible control paths, an algorithm stops.

For each control flow path, the first statement (if any) that returns a result set is determined by sp_describe_first_result_set.

When multiple possible first statements are found in a batch, their results can differ in number of columns, column name, nullability, and data type. How these differences are handled is described in more detail here:

• If the number of columns differs, an error is thrown and no result is returned.

• If the column name differs, the column name returned is set to NULL.

• If the nullability differs, the nullability returned allows NULL.

• If the data type differs, an error is thrown and no result is returned except for the following cases:

  • varchar(a) to varchar(a') where a' > a.
  • varchar(a) to varchar(max)
  • nvarchar(a) to nvarchar(a') where a' > a.
  • nvarchar(a) to nvarchar(max)
  • varbinary(a) to varbinary(a') where a' > a.
  • varbinary(a) to varbinary(max)

sp_describe_first_result_set doesn't support indirect recursion.

Permissions

Requires permission to execute the @tsql argument.

Examples

Typical examples

A. Basic example

The following example describes the result set returned from a single query.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'SELECT object_id, name, type_desc FROM sys.indexes';

The following example shows the result set returned from a single query that contains a parameter.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
SELECT object_id, name, type_desc
FROM sys.indexes
WHERE object_id = @id1',
@params = N'@id1 int';

B. Browse mode examples

The following three examples illustrate the key difference between the different browse information modes. Only the relevant columns are included in the query results.

Example using 0, indicating no information is returned.

CREATE TABLE dbo.t (
    a INT PRIMARY KEY,
    b1 INT
);
GO

CREATE VIEW dbo.v AS
SELECT b1 AS b2
FROM dbo.t;
GO

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set N'SELECT b2 AS b3 FROM dbo.v', NULL, 0;

Here's a partial result set.

is_hidden	column_ordinal	name	source_schema	source_table	source_column	is_part_of_unique_key
0	1	b3	NULL	NULL	NULL	NULL

Example using 1 indicating it returns information as if it includes a FOR BROWSE option on the query.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set N'SELECT b2 AS b3 FROM v', NULL, 1;

Here's a partial result set.

is_hidden	column_ordinal	name	source_schema	source_table	source_column	is_part_of_unique_key
0	1	b3	dbo	t	B1	0
1	2	a	dbo	t	a	1

Example using 2 indicating analyzed as if you're preparing a cursor.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set N'SELECT b2 AS b3 FROM v', NULL, 2;

Here's the result set.

is_hidden	column_ordinal	name	source_schema	source_table	source_column	is_part_of_unique_key
0	1	B3	dbo	v	B2	0
1	2	ROWSTAT	NULL	NULL	NULL	0

C. Store results in a table

In some scenarios, you need to put the results of the sp_describe_first_result_set procedure in a table so your can further process the schema.

First you need to create a table that matches the output of the sp_describe_first_result_set procedure:

CREATE TABLE #frs (
    is_hidden BIT NOT NULL,
    column_ordinal INT NOT NULL,
    name SYSNAME NULL,
    is_nullable BIT NOT NULL,
    system_type_id INT NOT NULL,
    system_type_name NVARCHAR(256) NULL,
    max_length SMALLINT NOT NULL,
    precision TINYINT NOT NULL,
    scale TINYINT NOT NULL,
    collation_name SYSNAME NULL,
    user_type_id INT NULL,
    user_type_database SYSNAME NULL,
    user_type_schema SYSNAME NULL,
    user_type_name SYSNAME NULL,
    assembly_qualified_type_name NVARCHAR(4000),
    xml_collection_id INT NULL,
    xml_collection_database SYSNAME NULL,
    xml_collection_schema SYSNAME NULL,
    xml_collection_name SYSNAME NULL,
    is_xml_document BIT NOT NULL,
    is_case_sensitive BIT NOT NULL,
    is_fixed_length_clr_type BIT NOT NULL,
    source_server SYSNAME NULL,
    source_database SYSNAME NULL,
    source_schema SYSNAME NULL,
    source_table SYSNAME NULL,
    source_column SYSNAME NULL,
    is_identity_column BIT NULL,
    is_part_of_unique_key BIT NULL,
    is_updateable BIT NULL,
    is_computed_column BIT NULL,
    is_sparse_column_set BIT NULL,
    ordinal_in_order_by_list SMALLINT NULL,
    order_by_list_length SMALLINT NULL,
    order_by_is_descending SMALLINT NULL,
    tds_type_id INT NOT NULL,
    tds_length INT NOT NULL,
    tds_collation_id INT NULL,
    tds_collation_sort_id TINYINT NULL
);

When you create a table, you can store the schema of some query in that table.

DECLARE @tsql NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'select top 0 * from sys.credentials';

INSERT INTO #frs
EXEC sys.sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql;

SELECT * FROM #frs;

Examples of problems

The following examples use two tables for all examples. Execute the following statements to create the example tables.

CREATE TABLE dbo.t1 (
    a INT NULL,
    b VARCHAR(10) NULL,
    c NVARCHAR(10) NULL
);

CREATE TABLE dbo.t2 (
    a SMALLINT NOT NULL,
    d VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
    e INT NOT NULL
);

Error because the number of columns differ

Number of columns in possible first result sets differ in this example.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    SELECT a FROM t1;
ELSE
    SELECT a, b FROM t1;

SELECT * FROM t; -- Ignored, not a possible first result set.';

Error because the data types differ

Columns types differ in different possible first result sets.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    SELECT a FROM t1;
ELSE
    SELECT a FROM t2;';

This results in an error of mismatching types (int vs. smallint).

Column name can't be determined

Columns in possible first result sets differ by length for same variable length type, nullability, and column names:

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    SELECT b FROM t1;
ELSE
    SELECT d FROM t2;';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	Unknown column name
system_type_name	varchar
max_length	20
is_nullable	1

Column name forced to be identical through aliasing

Same as previous, but columns have the same name through column aliasing.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    SELECT b FROM t1;
ELSE
    SELECT d AS b FROM t2;';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	b
system_type_name	varchar
max_length	20
is_nullable	1

Error because column types can't be matched

The columns types differ in different possible first result sets.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    SELECT b FROM t1;
ELSE
    SELECT c FROM t1;';

This results in an error of mismatching types (varchar(10) vs. nvarchar(10)).

Result set can return an error

First result set is either error or result set.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    RAISERROR(''Some Error'', 16 , 1);
ELSE
    SELECT a FROM t1;
SELECT e FROM t2; -- Ignored, not a possible first result set.';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	a
system_type_name	int
is_nullable	1

Some code paths return no results

First result set is either null or a result set.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
IF (1 = 1)
    RETURN;
SELECT a FROM t1;';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	a
system_type_name	int
is_nullable	1

Result from dynamic SQL

First result set is dynamic SQL that is discoverable because it's a literal string.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
EXEC(N''SELECT a FROM t1'');';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	a
system_type_name	int
is_nullable	1

Result failure from dynamic SQL

First result set is undefined because of dynamic SQL.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(max);
SET @SQL = N''SELECT a FROM t1 WHERE 1 = 1'';
IF (1 = 1)
    SET @SQL += N'' AND e > 10'';
EXEC(@SQL);';

This results in an error. The result isn't discoverable because of the dynamic SQL.

Result set specified by user

First result set is specified manually by user.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql =
N'
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(max);
SET @SQL = N''SELECT a FROM t1 WHERE 1 = 1'';
IF (1 = 1)
    SET @SQL += N'' AND e > 10'';
EXEC(@SQL)
    WITH RESULT SETS (
        (Column1 BIGINT NOT NULL)
    );';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	Column1
system_type_name	bigint
is_nullable	0

Error caused by an ambiguous result set

This example assumes that another user named user1 has a table named t1 in the default schema s1 with columns (a int NOT NULL).

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql = N'
    IF (@p > 0)
    EXECUTE AS USER = ''user1'';
    SELECT * FROM t1;',
@params = N'@p int';

This code results in an Invalid object name error. t1 can be either dbo.t1 or s1.t1, each with a different number of columns.

Result even with ambiguous result set

Use the same assumptions as the previous example.

EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql =
N'
    IF (@p > 0)
    EXECUTE AS USER = ''user1'';
    SELECT a FROM t1;';

Here's a partial result set.

Column	Value
name	a
system_type_name	int
is_nullable	1

Both dbo.t1.a and s1.t1.a have type int, and different nullability.

Related content

• sp_describe_undeclared_parameters (Transact-SQL)
• sys.dm_exec_describe_first_result_set (Transact-SQL)
• sys.dm_exec_describe_first_result_set_for_object (Transact-SQL)