sp-helptext-transact-sql.md

title	sp_helptext (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs
ms.custom
ms.date	03/14/2017
ms.prod	sql
ms.prod_service	database-engine, sql-database
ms.reviewer
ms.technology	system-objects
ms.topic	language-reference
f1_keywords	sp_helptext sp_helptext_TSQL
dev_langs	TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	sp_helptext
ms.assetid	24135456-05f0-427c-884b-93cf38dd47a8
author	stevestein
ms.author	sstein
monikerRange	=azuresqldb-current||>=sql-server-2016||=sqlallproducts-allversions||>=sql-server-linux-2017||=azuresqldb-mi-current

sp_helptext (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEtsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md]

Displays the definition of a user-defined rule, default, unencrypted [!INCLUDEtsql] stored procedure, user-defined [!INCLUDEtsql] function, trigger, computed column, CHECK constraint, view, or system object such as a system stored procedure.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

  
sp_helptext [ @objname = ] 'name' [ , [ @columnname = ] computed_column_name ]  

Arguments

[ @objname = ] 'name' Is the qualified or nonqualified name of a user-defined, schema-scoped object. Quotation marks are required only if a qualified object is specified. If a fully qualified name, including a database name, is provided, the database name must be the name of the current database. The object must be in the current database. name is nvarchar(776), with no default.

[ @columnname = ] 'computed_column_name' Is the name of the computed column for which to display definition information. The table that contains the column must be specified as name. column_name is sysname, with no default.

Return Code Values

0 (success) or 1 (failure)

Result Sets

Column name	Data type	Description
Text	nvarchar(255)	Object definition

Remarks

sp_helptext displays the definition that is used to create an object in multiple rows. Each row contains 255 characters of the [!INCLUDEtsql] definition. The definition resides in the definition column in the sys.sql_modules catalog view.

Permissions

Requires membership in the public role. System object definitions are publicly visible. The definition of user objects is visible to the object owner or grantees that have any one of the following permissions: ALTER, CONTROL, TAKE OWNERSHIP, or VIEW DEFINITION.

Examples

A. Displaying the definition of a trigger

The following example displays the definition of the trigger dEmployee in the [!INCLUDEssSampleDBobject]database.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
EXEC sp_helptext 'HumanResources.dEmployee';  
GO  

B. Displaying the definition of a computed column

The following example displays the definition of the computed column TotalDue on the SalesOrderHeader table in the [!INCLUDEssSampleDBobject] database.

USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
sp_helptext @objname = N'AdventureWorks2012.Sales.SalesOrderHeader', @columnname = TotalDue ;  
GO  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

Text

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

(isnull(([SubTotal]+[TaxAmt])+[Freight],(0)))

See Also

Database Engine Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)
OBJECT_DEFINITION (Transact-SQL)
sp_help (Transact-SQL)
sys.sql_modules (Transact-SQL)
System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)