---
title: "sp_helptext (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine, sql-database"
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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)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Displays the definition of a user-defined rule, default, unencrypted [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] stored procedure, user-defined [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] function, trigger, computed column, CHECK constraint, view, or system object such as a system stored procedure.  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## 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 [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] definition. The definition resides in the **definition** column in the [sys.sql_modules](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-sql-modules-transact-sql.md) 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 [!INCLUDE[ssSampleDBobject](../../includes/sssampledbobject-md.md)]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 [!INCLUDE[ssSampleDBobject](../../includes/sssampledbobject-md.md)] database.  
  
```  
USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
sp_helptext @objname = N'AdventureWorks2012.Sales.SalesOrderHeader', @columnname = TotalDue ;  
GO  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
 `Text`  
  
 `---------------------------------------------------------------------`  
  
 `(isnull(([SubTotal]+[TaxAmt])+[Freight],(0)))`  
  
## See Also  
 [Database Engine Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/database-engine-stored-procedures-transact-sql.md)   
 [OBJECT_DEFINITION (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/object-definition-transact-sql.md)   
 [sp_help (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-help-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.sql_modules (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-sql-modules-transact-sql.md)   
 [System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/system-stored-procedures-transact-sql.md)