will not using the statement terminator ';' break code in future?

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will not using the statement terminator ';' break code in future?

davidandrews13

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August 27, 2013 at 2:21 am

#282409

i've been searching for some definitive (or as definitive as it can be, since we dont all work for Microsoft) about whether SQL that doesn't have the ';' terminator will break at the point they decide to make it mandatory.
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1261877-392-1.aspx
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Future-deprecated-feature-Must-terminate-72017.S.198380247
this next link mentions 'Not ending Transact-SQL statements with a semicolon' is not supported in a future version
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143729.aspx?goback=%2Egmr_4764645#!
i'm sure it wont but i'd prefer to know 😉

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Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 1

When they finally make it mandatory, T-SQL that's not terminated by a ; will indeed break (hence mandatory)

What version they'll do that is however is another matter.

I would suggest you get into the habit of terminating statements now. More and more statements are requiring the ; each version, good habit to get into now and then you won't have to worry too much about changes in that area.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

davidandrews13 SSCertifiable Points: 6820 More actions · Answer 2

good advice. i'll certainly get in the habit and also update Procedures as-and-when i get to them so that, come day zero, it wont be such a big problem.

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259115 More actions · Answer 3

GilaMonster (8/27/2013)
When they finally make it mandatory, T-SQL that's not terminated by a ; will indeed break (hence mandatory)
What version they'll do that is however is another matter.
I would suggest you get into the habit of terminating statements now. More and more statements are requiring the ; each version, good habit to get into now and then you won't have to worry too much about changes in that area.

If the scripts generated by SSMS would include semicolons, that would be a good start 🙂

Need an answer? No, you need a question
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Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 4

Koen Verbeeck (8/27/2013)
GilaMonster (8/27/2013)
When they finally make it mandatory, T-SQL that's not terminated by a ; will indeed break (hence mandatory)
What version they'll do that is however is another matter.
I would suggest you get into the habit of terminating statements now. More and more statements are requiring the ; each version, good habit to get into now and then you won't have to worry too much about changes in that area.
If the scripts generated by SSMS would include semicolons, that would be a good start 🙂

And stop setting ANSI_NULLs off, and stop using old compatibility views and .....

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 5

davidandrews13 (8/27/2013)
good advice. i'll certainly get in the habit and also update Procedures as-and-when i get to them so that, come day zero, it wont be such a big problem.

Bear in mind that we're probably talking 3 versions and 6 or more years.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004406 More actions · Answer 6

GilaMonster (8/27/2013)
davidandrews13 (8/27/2013)
good advice. i'll certainly get in the habit and also update Procedures as-and-when i get to them so that, come day zero, it wont be such a big problem.
Bear in mind that we're probably talking 3 versions and 6 or more years.

Plenty of time to build up the habit. 🙂

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

ScottPletcher SSC Guru Points: 101120 More actions · Answer 7

GilaMonster (8/27/2013)
davidandrews13 (8/27/2013)
good advice. i'll certainly get in the habit and also update Procedures as-and-when i get to them so that, come day zero, it wont be such a big problem.
Bear in mind that we're probably talking 3 versions and 6 or more years.

At the very least. It's one of the great advantages of their language that you don't have to do that -- why surrender that edge over Oracle, etc.?

SQL DBA,SQL Server MVP(07, 08, 09) "It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear." "Norm", on "Cheers". Also from "Cheers", from "Carla": "You need to know 3 things about Tortelli men: Tortelli men draw women like flies; Tortelli men treat women like flies; Tortelli men's brains are in their flies".