begin-end-transact-sql.md

title	BEGIN...END (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
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ms.date	03/15/2017
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BEGIN...END (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md]

Encloses a series of [!INCLUDEtsql] statements so that a group of [!INCLUDEtsql] statements can be executed. BEGIN and END are control-of-flow language keywords.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

-- Syntax for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Parallel Data Warehouse  
  
BEGIN  
    { sql_statement | statement_block }   
END  

Arguments

{ sql_statement | statement_block }
Is any valid [!INCLUDEtsql] statement or statement grouping as defined by using a statement block.

Remarks

BEGIN...END blocks can be nested.

Although all [!INCLUDEtsql] statements are valid within a BEGIN...END block, certain [!INCLUDEtsql] statements should not be grouped together within the same batch, or statement block.

Examples

In the following example, BEGIN and END define a series of [!INCLUDEtsql] statements that execute together. If the BEGIN...END block were not included, both ROLLBACK TRANSACTION statements would execute and both PRINT messages would be returned.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
BEGIN TRANSACTION;  
GO  
IF @@TRANCOUNT = 0  
BEGIN  
    SELECT FirstName, MiddleName   
    FROM Person.Person WHERE LastName = 'Adams';  
    ROLLBACK TRANSACTION;  
    PRINT N'Rolling back the transaction two times would cause an error.';  
END;  
ROLLBACK TRANSACTION;  
PRINT N'Rolled back the transaction.';  
GO  
/*  
Rolled back the transaction.  
*/  

Examples: [!INCLUDEssSDWfull] and [!INCLUDEssPDW]

In the following example, BEGIN and END define a series of [!INCLUDEDWsql] statements that run together. If the BEGIN...END block are not included, the following example will be in a continuous loop.

-- Uses AdventureWorks  
  
DECLARE @Iteration Integer = 0  
WHILE @Iteration <10  
BEGIN  
    SELECT FirstName, MiddleName   
    FROM dbo.DimCustomer WHERE LastName = 'Adams';  
SET @Iteration += 1  
END;  
  

See Also

ALTER TRIGGER (Transact-SQL)
Control-of-Flow Language (Transact-SQL)
CREATE TRIGGER (Transact-SQL)
END (BEGIN...END) (Transact-SQL)