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Learn how to use built-in functions in SQL Server for string, numeric, date, conversion, and advanced operations. See the function description, syntax, and examples for each function.
Learn what functions are in SQL Server, how they can improve efficiency, reusability and modularity, and how to use them with examples. Explore built-in functions for string, mathematical, date and time operations, and user-defined functions for custom logic.
- Overview
- Aggregate functions
- Analytic functions
- Bit manipulation functions
- Ranking functions
- Rowset functions
- Scalar functions
- Function determinism
- Function collation
- Limitations
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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
Learn about the categories of built-in functions you can use with SQL databases. You can use the built-in functions or create your own user-defined functions.
Aggregate functions perform a calculation on a set of values and return a single value. They're allowed in the select list or the HAVING clause of a SELECT statement. You can use an aggregation in combination with the GROUP BY clause to calculate the aggregation on categories of rows. Use the OVER clause to calculate the aggregation on a specific range of value. The OVER clause can't follow the GROUPING or GROUPING_ID aggregations.
All aggregate functions are deterministic, which means they always return the same value when they run on the same input values. For more information, see Deterministic and Nondeterministic Functions.
Analytic functions compute an aggregate value based on a group of rows. However, unlike aggregate functions, analytic functions can return multiple rows for each group. You can use analytic functions to compute moving averages, running totals, percentages, or top-N results within a group.
Applies to: SQL Server 2022 (16.x)
Bit manipulation functions allow you to process and store data more efficiently than with individual bits. For more information, see Bit manipulation functions.
Ranking functions return a ranking value for each row in a partition. Depending on the function that is used, some rows might receive the same value as other rows. Ranking functions are nondeterministic.
Rowset functions Return an object that can be used like table references in an SQL statement.
Operate on a single value and then return a single value. Scalar functions can be used wherever an expression is valid.Categories of scalar functions
SQL Server built-in functions are either deterministic or nondeterministic. Functions are deterministic when they always return the same result anytime they're called by using a specific set of input values. Functions are nondeterministic when they could return different results every time they're called, even with the same specific set of input va...
Functions that take a character string input and return a character string output use the collation of the input string for the output.
Functions that take non-character inputs and return a character string use the default collation of the current database for the output.
For information on limitations of function types and platforms, see CREATE FUNCTION.
Learn about the built-in functions you can use with SQL databases, such as aggregate, analytic, bit manipulation, ranking, and more. See the function categories, descriptions, and examples for each function type.
Learn how to create and use user-defined functions in SQL Server to encapsulate complex logic and reuse them in queries. The tutorial covers scalar-valued functions, table-valued functions, table variables and dynamic SQL.
Learn how to use various SQL Server functions to manipulate data, dates, strings, and windows. Find definitions, syntax, and examples of aggregate, date, string, system, and window functions.
Apr 26, 2024 · Creates a user-defined function (UDF), which is a Transact-SQL or common language runtime (CLR) routine. A user-defined function accepts parameters, performs an action such as a complex calculation, and returns the result of that action as a value. The return value can either be a scalar (single) value or a table.
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Jul 30, 2024 · Learn how to use system and user-defined functions in SQL Server to perform various operations and return values or tables. See the rules, syntax, and examples of scalar, aggregate, and table-valued functions.
