current-user-transact-sql.md

title	CURRENT_USER (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
ms.custom
ms.date	07/24/2017
ms.prod	sql-non-specified
ms.reviewer
ms.suite
ms.technology	database-engine
ms.tgt_pltfrm
ms.topic	language-reference
f1_keywords	CURRENT_USER CURRENT_USER_TSQL
dev_langs	TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	usernames [SQL Server] current user names niladic functions CURRENT_USER users [SQL Server], names
ms.assetid	29248949-325b-4063-9f55-5a445fb35c6e
caps.latest.revision	43
author	BYHAM
ms.author	rickbyh
manager	jhubbard

CURRENT_USER (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md]

Returns the name of the current user. This function is equivalent to USER_NAME().

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

-- Syntax for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Parallel Data Warehouse  
  
CURRENT_USER  

Return types

sysname

Remarks

CURRENT_USER returns the name of the current security context. If CURRENT_USER is executed after a call to EXECUTE AS switches context, CURRENT_USER will return the name of the impersonated context. If a Windows principal accessed the database by way of membership in a group, the name of the Windows principal will be returned instead of the name of the group.

To return the login of the current user, see SUSER_NAME (Transact-SQL) and SYSTEM_USER (Transact-SQL).

Examples

A. Using CURRENT_USER to return the current user name

The following example returns the name of the current user.

SELECT CURRENT_USER;  
GO  

B. Using CURRENT_USER as a DEFAULT constraint

The following example creates a table that uses CURRENT_USER as a DEFAULT constraint for the order_person column on a sales row.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
IF EXISTS (SELECT TABLE_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES  
      WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'orders22')  
   DROP TABLE orders22;  
GO  
SET NOCOUNT ON;  
CREATE TABLE orders22  
(  
order_id int IDENTITY(1000, 1) NOT NULL,
cust_id  int NOT NULL,
order_date smalldatetime NOT NULL DEFAULT GETDATE(),
order_amt money NOT NULL,
order_person char(30) NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_USER
);  
GO  

The following code inserts a record in the table. The user that is executing these statements is named Wanida.

INSERT orders22 (cust_id, order_amt)  
VALUES (5105, 577.95);  
GO  
SET NOCOUNT OFF;  
GO  

The following query selects all information from the orders22 table.

SELECT * FROM orders22;  
GO  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

order_id cust_id order_date order_amt order_person

----------- ----------- -------------------- ------------ ------------

1000 5105 2005-04-03 23:34:00 577.95 Wanida

(1 row(s) affected)

C. Using CURRENT_USER from an impersonated context

In the following example, user Wanida executes the following [!INCLUDEtsql] code.

SELECT CURRENT_USER;  
GO  
EXECUTE AS USER = 'Arnalfo';  
GO  
SELECT CURRENT_USER;  
GO  
REVERT;  
GO  
SELECT CURRENT_USER;  
GO  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

Wanida

Arnalfo

Wanida

Examples: [!INCLUDEssSDWfull] and [!INCLUDEssPDW]

D: Using CURRENT_USER to return the current user name

The following example returns the name of the current user.

SELECT CURRENT_USER;  

See also

USER_NAME (Transact-SQL)
SYSTEM_USER (Transact-SQL)
sys.database_principals (Transact-SQL)
ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL)
CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)
System Functions (Transact-SQL)