SQL Server include files for versioning and applies-to

Article
01/30/2024

References in the documentation can be easily modified without changing the actual text of individual articles by using include files in Markdown. There are three types of include files in the SQL content world: SQL version, applies-to, and referential text. SQL Server version include files are used to indicate the version of SQL being discussed, such as SQL Server 2016 or 2017. The applies-to include files indicate what SQL products and services the document applies to, such as SQL Server on Linux or Azure SQL Database. Referential text include files don't fall in the other two categories, such as the "Get Help" include, a list of links that customers can use to get help with SQL Server.

This article is meant to be used as a reference point for just the first two types of include files. You can browse the complete list of include files in the sql-docs repository.

SQL Server version include files

SQL Content writers frequently need to include the name of the product and version of SQL Server. This way, if something changes in the name, the include file is updated instead of manually updating the value in every single article. These include files are used as placeholders for product names but have not been consistently used in all SQL documentation. SQL Server vNext refers to a future release of SQL that does not yet have a version number and is the exception to this.

SQL Version	File Name	Markdown Example	Text
SQL Server	ssnoversion-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]`	SQL Server
SQL Server 2000	ssversion2000-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../includes/ssversion2000-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2000 (8.x)
SQL Server 2005	ssversion2005-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../includes/ssversion2005-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2005 (9.x)
SQL Server 2008	sql2008-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[sql2008-md](../includes/sql2008-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x)
SQL Server 2008 R2	sql2008r2-md.md	`[!INCLUDE [sql2008r2-md](../includes/sql2008r2-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x)
SQL Server 2012	sssql11-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../includes/sssql11-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2012 (11.x)
SQL Server 2012 SP1	sssql11sp1-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL11SP1](../includes/sssql11sp1-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2012 SP1 (11.0.3x)
SQL Server 2014	sssql14-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssSQL14](../includes/sssql14-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2014 (12.x)
SQL Server 2016	sssql16-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[sssql15-md](../includes/sssql16-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2016 (13.x)
SQL Server 2017	sssql17-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[sssql17-md](../includes/sssql17-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2017 (14.x)
SQL Server 2019	sssql19-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[sssql19-md](../includes/sssql19-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2019 (15.x)
SQL Server vNext	sssql22-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[sssql22-md](../includes/sssql22-md.md)]`	SQL Server 2022 (16.x)

SQL Server Applies-to (non-version-specific)

These applies-to include files omit the version of SQL Server.

File Name	Markdown Example	Image
appliesto-ss-asdb-asdw-xxx-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[SQL Server ASDB, ASDBMI, ASDW](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics
appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-pdw-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-pdw-md.md](../includes/appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-pdw-md.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)
appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-asdb.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database
applies-to-version/sql-asdbmi.md	`[!INCLUDE[applies-to-version/sql-asdbmi.md](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-asdbmi.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Managed Instance
appliesto-ss-xxxx-asdw-pdw-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-asdw-pdw-md.md](../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-asdw-pdw-md.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)
appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-pdw-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-pdw-md.md](../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-pdw-md.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)
appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly.md](../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server (Windows only) Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)
applies-to-version/_ssnoversion.md	`[!INCLUDE[applies-to-version/_ssnoversion.md](../includes/applies-to-version/sqlserver.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server
appliesto-xx-asdb-asdw-xxx-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-xx-asdb-asdw-xxx-md.md](../includes/appliesto-xx-asdb-asdw-xxx-md.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)
appliesto-xx-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md	`[!INCLUDE[appliesto-xx-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md](../includes/appliesto-xx-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

SQL Server Applies-to (version-specific)

These applies-to include files specify which versions of SQL the documentation applies to.

Analysis Services Applies-to

These applies-to include files are used with Analysis Services documentation.

File Name	Markdown Example	Image
ssas-appliesto-sql2016.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-appliesto-sql2016.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sql2016.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Analysis Services Azure Analysis Services Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Analysis Services and later Azure Analysis Services Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later-aas.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later-aas.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sql2016-later-aas.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Analysis Services and later Azure Analysis Services Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sql2017.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-appliesto-sql2017.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sql2017.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2017 Analysis Services ❌ Azure Analysis Services ❌ Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sql2017-later-aas.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-appliesto-sql2017-later-aas.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sql2017-later-aas.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2017 Analysis Services and later ✅ Azure Analysis Services ❌ Power BI Premium
ssas.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas.md](../includes/applies-to-version/ssas.md)]`	Applies to: SQL Server Analysis Services
ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all-aas.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-aas.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all-aas.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server Analysis Services ✅ Azure Analysis Services ❌ Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-all.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server Analysis Services ❌ Azure Analysis Services ❌ Power BI Premium
ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all-aas.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssas-all-aas.md](../includes/ssas-appliesto-sqlas-all-aas.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server Analysis Services ✅ Azure Analysis Services ❌ Power BI Premium

Reporting Services Applies-to

These applies-to include files are used with Reporting Services documentation.

File Name	Markdown Example	Image
ssrs-appliesto-2017-and-later.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssrs-appliesto-2017-and-later.md](../includes/ssrs-appliesto-2017-and-later.md)]`	✅ SQL Server Reporting Services (2017 and later)
ssrs-appliesto-not-pbirs.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssrs-appliesto-not-pbirs.md](../includes/ssrs-appliesto-not-pbirs.md)]`	❌ Power BI Report Server
ssrs-appliesto-pbirs.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssrs-appliesto-pbirs.md](../includes/ssrs-appliesto-pbirs.md)]`	✅ Power BI Report Server
ssrs-appliesto-sharepoint-2013-2016.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssrs-appliesto-sharepoint-2013-2016.md](../includes/ssrs-appliesto-sharepoint-2013-2016.md)]`	✅ SharePoint
ssrs-appliesto-sql2016-preview.md	`[!INCLUDE[ssrs-appliesto-sql2016-preview.md](../includes/ssrs-appliesto-sql2016-preview.md)]`	Applies to: ✅ SQL Server 2016 (13.x) ✅ Power BI Report Server

Next steps

For more information on how to use these include files, see Applies-to includes.