How to Identify Dependencies Before Dropping a Column in SQL Server

Dropping or modifying a column in SQL Server can look straightforward, but it often isn’t. That column might be referenced by other objects in the database, and removing it without checking can break things silently. Unlike dropping a whole table, where SQL Server is very strict about dependencies, column-level references are not always enforced or even tracked. That’s why it’s important to do some homework before making the change.

Read more

How to Execute a Trigger Only When a Specific Column is Updated (SQL Server)

In SQL Server, you can create DML triggers that execute code only when a specific column is updated.

The trigger still fires, but you can test whether or not a specific column was updated, and then run code only if that column was updated.

You can do this by using the UPDATE() function inside your trigger. This function accepts the column name as its argument. It returns a boolean.

Read more

Send Email from a Trigger in SQL Server (T-SQL)

If you find yourself needing to send an email automatically upon certain events occurring in SQL Server, you can do this via a trigger.

For example, you could automatically send an email when somebody deletes or updates a record from a table, etc.

To do this, you need to create a trigger that includes code for sending the email upon the required event.

Read more

Create an “Instead Of” Trigger in SQL Server

When you create a trigger in SQL Server, you have the option of firing it in conjunction with the triggering statement (i.e. the SQL statement that fired the trigger), or firing it instead of that statement.

To fire the trigger instead of the triggering statement, use INSTEAD OF argument.

This is in contrast to using the FOR or AFTER arguments. When you use those arguments, the trigger fires only when all operations specified in the triggering SQL statement have launched successfully.

Read more

Create a DML Trigger in SQL Server

In SQL Server, you can use the CREATE TRIGGER statement to create a trigger.

A trigger is a special type of stored procedure that automatically runs when an event occurs in the database server.

You can create a DML trigger, a DDL trigger, or a logon trigger.

This article provides an example of creating a DML trigger.

Read more