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Practical SQL Server

Stop Using INFORMATION_SCHEMA and SysObjects for Exists Checks

Code like this isn’t optimal:

IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE name = N'TableToDrop' AND type = 'U')
	DROP TABLE TableToDrop;
GO

Neither is this:

IF EXISTS(SELECT TABLE_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'TableToDrop')
	DROP TABLE TableToDrop;
GO

Yet, I see both of those used all of the time – over and over again. Even though it’s 2015.  

It’s like devs, DBAs, product vendors, and developers all missed the memo that’s there’s a cleaner, simpler, and better way:

IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.TableToDrop','U') IS NOT NULL
	DROP TABLE dbo.TableToDrop;
GO

Yup, OBJECT_ID() – with the addition of a SECONDARY argument (as of SQL Server 2005) that lets you specify the type of object you’re looking for – is you’re new best friend (if you’re still doing EXISTS checks the old fashioned way).

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And, of course, it works with sprocs, UDFs, and anything else you can define via sys.objects’ type column will work as expected:

-- Scalar Function:
IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.GetFormattedPrice','FN') IS NOT NULL
	DROP FUNCTION dbo.GetFormattedPrice;
GO

-- View
IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.AllClientsReport','V') IS NOT NULL
	DROP VIEW dbo.AllClientsReport;
GO

-- etc

Using OBJECT_ID is simpler than firing off a sub-query, takes up less space, and does a better job of explaining your intentions. (At least until we get first-class support for CREATE or REPLACE syntax with a future version of SQL Server.)

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