Transact-SQL reference (Database Engine)

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

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

T-SQL compliance with the 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:

Locate the Transact-SQL reference articles

To find T-SQL articles, 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.

"Applies to" references

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Next steps