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When should I use semicolons in SQL Server?

While checking some code on the web and scripts generated by SQL Server Management Studio I have noticed that some statements are ended with a semicolon.

So when should I use it?

Solution

  • From a SQLServerCentral.Com article by Ken Powers:

    The Semicolon

    The semicolon character is a statement terminator. It is a part of the ANSI SQL-92 standard, but was never used within Transact-SQL. Indeed, it was possible to code T-SQL for years without ever encountering a semicolon.

    Usage

    There are two situations in which you must use the semicolon. The first situation is where you use a Common Table Expression (CTE), and the CTE is not the first statement in the batch. The second is where you issue a Service Broker statement and the Service Broker statement is not the first statement in the batch.