Transact-SQL Reference (Database Engine)

Applies to: SQL Server (all supported versions) Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

This topic gives the basics about how to find and use the Microsoft Transact-SQL (T-SQL) reference topics. T-SQL is central to using Microsoft SQL products and services. All tools and applications that communicate with a SQL database do so by sending T-SQL commands.

T-SQL compliance with SQL Standard

For detailed technical documents about how certain standards are implemented in SQL Server, see the Microsoft SQL Server Standards Support documentation.

Tools that use T-SQL

Some of the Microsoft tools that issue T-SQL commands are:

• SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
• Azure Data Studio
• SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)
• sqlcmd

Locate the Transact-SQL reference topics

To find T-SQL topics, use search at the top right of this page, or use the table of contents on the left side of the page. You can also type a T-SQL key word in the Management Studio Query Editor window, and press F1.

Find system views

To find the system tables, views, functions, and procedures, see these links, which are in the Using relational databases section of the SQL documentation.

• System catalog Views
• System compatibility views
• System dynamic management views
• System functions
• System information schema views
• System stored procedures
• System tables

"Applies to" references

The T-SQL reference topics encompass multiple versions of SQL Server, starting with 2008, and the other Azure SQL services. Near the top of each topic is a section that indicates which products and services support subject of the topic.

For example, this topic applies to all versions, and has the following label.

APPLIES TO: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

Another example, the following label indicates a topic that applies only to Azure Synapse Analytics and Parallel Data Warehouse.

Applies to: Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

In some cases, the topic is used by a product or service, but all of the arguments are not supported. In this case, other Applies to sections are inserted into the appropriate argument descriptions in the body of the topic.

Get help from Microsoft Q & A

For online help, see the Microsoft Q & A Transact-SQL Forum.

See other language references

The SQL docs include these other language references:

• XQuery Language Reference
• Integration Services Language Reference
• Replication Language Reference
• Analysis Services Language Reference

Next steps

Now that you understand how to find the T-SQL reference topics, you're ready to:

• Work through a short tutorial about how to write T-SQL, see Tutorial: Writing Transact-SQL Statements.
• View the Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions (Transact-SQL).