app-name-transact-sql.md

title	APP_NAME (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
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ms.date	07/24/2017
ms.prod	sql-non-specified
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ms.technology	database-engine
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f1_keywords	APP_NAME_TSQL APP_NAME
dev_langs	TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	name checking for current session [SQL Server] sessions [SQL Server], application names applications [SQL Server], names current session application names APP_NAME function
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author	BYHAM
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APP_NAME (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx_md]

Returns the application name for the current session if set by the application.

Important

The application name is provided by the client and is not verified in any way. Do not use APP_NAME as part of a security check.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

  
APP_NAME  ( )  

Return Types

nvarchar(128)

Remarks

Use APP_NAME when you want to perform different actions for different applications. For example, formatting a date differently for different applications, or returning an informational message to certain applications.

To set an application name in [!INCLUDEssManStudio], in the Connect to Database Engine dialog box, click Options. On the Additional Connection Parameters tab, provide an app attribute in the format ;app='application_name'

Examples

The following example checks whether the client application that initiated this process is a SQL Server Management Studio session and provides a date in either US or ANSI format.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
IF APP_NAME() = 'Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio - Query'  
PRINT 'This process was started by ' + APP_NAME() + '. The date is ' + CONVERT ( varchar(100) , GETDATE(), 101) + '.';  
ELSE   
PRINT 'This process was started by ' + APP_NAME() + '. The date is ' + CONVERT ( varchar(100) , GETDATE(), 102) + '.';  
GO  

See also

System Functions (Transact-SQL)
Functions