Default Values and Named Parameters for Stored Procs

  • I would say it is always nice to have a default behaviour for a stored proc.

    If you dont give it any parameters it will perform the default behaviour.

    But when you need a different behaviour you could call the sproc with a parameter.

    I don't see anything wrong with this......

    If anybody could tell me why this is wrong I could learn from them.

  • I like default parameters to specify default behaviour. If a default value needs to change (customer requirement etc..) this change only has to be made in one place, whereas if you hadn't used a default this change would have to be made in every calling piece of code, maybe in multiple applications.

    Regards,

    Andy Jones

    .

  • I like them primarily when I may have a value that can be NULL just so that all the parameters do not need to be expressed. But to make usefull to most folks you need to put defaulted values toward the end otherwise they in some cases end up doing more work than needed.

    Ex.

    CREATE PROC ip_test

    @val1 as varchar(4) = NULL,

    @val2 as varchar(4) = NULL

    nw I want to set @val2 to TEST and leave @val1 out

    ip_test @val2 = 'TEST'

    ip_test NULL, 'TEST'

    So there you see the value list was shorter to code than having to specify @val2. This sometimes can be a drawback if you use highly desciptive variable names one small data values. It is just a nicity that you have the option.

    However in the example if I wanted to set @val1 to TEST then I would do

    ip_test 'TEST'

    which is short than the other two. My opinion is supply all values up to the last item you need and anything that can be defaulted put at the end of you list of inputs. Thus making it of the most possible use.

  • I find default parameters very useful as I work in an environment where I often have an Access application sharing an SPROC with a web page where a parameter might be needed for the web page but is always the same coming from the application.

    Patrick Edgerton

    DBA Resource Concepts

  • Just one little drawback of using default values for SP parameters...

    Think of default values as you think of late binding in programming languages. If you forgot to specify a parameter for your SP, it won't give you a compile-time error. Instead it will run as if everything is fine. Even if you put an appropriate parameter validation in the beginning of SP, you will see it only at execution time, not at compile time.

  • I find default parameters to be very useful when a single stored proc is being used by multiple versions of client software (ie-web, client/server). If one of the applications supports additional functionality and parameters, then it can be implmented with no code changes to the legacy applications.

    -Dan


    -Dan

  • Tinkering with stored procedure parameters

    Theoretically what i did is to make the procedures behave as if they do not have parameters when no parameter is passed to the procedure when it is called. This equivalent of passing a null to the procedure parameter...

    Therefore if you call the procedure with no parameters the procedure will return all values...you will then only need to specify values for the parameters you need.

    To achieve this instead of specifying your parameter as say:-

    ...WHERE CustomerID=@CustomerID specifiy

    ....WHERE CustomerID=COALESCE(@CustomerID,CustomerID)

    With fine tuning you will find great potential of using stored procedure...

    Contact me at clarence_assey@hotmail.com for more help

  • Actually last week i coded my application with a parameter refresh. but i think this is more handy... ok now im going to go back and check whether my asp application can pass the parameters as u have mentioned. if its works... Thank you Maan...

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