What is binding in the column properties?

  • In the column properties, there is a property called "Default Value or Binding."  What is meant by binding.  I presume that means a column can be connected to something else.  For example, in MS Access, a field in a form is bound or connected to a column in an underlying table.

    But what is binding in terms of SQL?  When is it used?  How is it used?  I can't find documentation on this.

  • michael.leach2015 - Wednesday, October 10, 2018 5:29 PM

    In the column properties, there is a property called "Default Value or Binding."  What is meant by binding.  I presume that means a column can be connected to something else.  For example, in MS Access, a field in a form is bound or connected to a column in an underlying table.

    But what is binding in terms of SQL?  When is it used?  How is it used?  I can't find documentation on this.

    I checked in SSMS and cannot find this anywhere. Where are you seeing it?

    --Edit: OK, tracked it down.
    Have a read here. It appears to be an outdated way of giving a column a default value, which has been superseded by DEFAULT constraints. In fact, it's so outdated that I didn't know it even existed until today!

    The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
    - Martin Rees
    The absence of consumable DDL, sample data and desired results is, however, evidence of the absence of my response
    - Phil Parkin

  • Phil Parkin - Wednesday, October 10, 2018 5:42 PM

    michael.leach2015 - Wednesday, October 10, 2018 5:29 PM

    In the column properties, there is a property called "Default Value or Binding."  What is meant by binding.  I presume that means a column can be connected to something else.  For example, in MS Access, a field in a form is bound or connected to a column in an underlying table.

    But what is binding in terms of SQL?  When is it used?  How is it used?  I can't find documentation on this.

    I checked in SSMS and cannot find this anywhere. Where are you seeing it?

    --Edit: OK, tracked it down.
    Have a read here. It appears to be an outdated way of giving a column a default value, which has been superseded by DEFAULT constraints. In fact, it's so outdated that I didn't know it even existed until today!

    Thank you.  I am seeing this in SQL Server 2017.  For any table, if you right click on the Columns folder and select New Column, then select any column that appears in the table definition.  On the bottom half of the screen, under Column Properties it still says Default Value or Binding.  Not sure why the 2017 version would still have this.

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