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Applies to:
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Displays the definition of a user-defined rule, default, unencrypted Transact-SQL stored procedure, user-defined Transact-SQL function, trigger, computed column, CHECK
constraint, view, or system object such as a system stored procedure.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
sp_helptext
[ @objname = ] N'objname'
[ , [ @columnname = ] N'columnname' ]
[ ; ]
The qualified or nonqualified name of a user-defined, schema-scoped object. @objname is nvarchar(776), with no default. 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.
The name of the computed column for which to display definition information. @columnname is sysname, with a default of NULL
. The table that contains the column must be specified as @objname.
0
(success) or 1
(failure).
Column name | Data type | Description |
---|---|---|
Text |
nvarchar(255) | Object definition |
sp_helptext
displays the definition that is used to create an object in multiple rows. Each row contains 255 characters of the Transact-SQL definition. The definition resides in the definition
column in the sys.sql_modules catalog view.
Note
The system stored procedure sp_helptext
isn't supported in Azure Synapse Analytics. Instead, use OBJECT_DEFINITION
system function or sys.sql_modules
object catalog view for equivalent results.
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
.
The following example displays the definition of the trigger dEmployee
in the AdventureWorks2022
database.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
EXEC sp_helptext 'HumanResources.dEmployee';
GO
The following example displays the definition of the computed column TotalDue
on the SalesOrderHeader
table in the AdventureWorks2022
database.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
sp_helptext
@objname = N'AdventureWorks2022.Sales.SalesOrderHeader',
@columnname = TotalDue;
GO
Here's the result set.
Text
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(isnull(([SubTotal]+[TaxAmt])+[Freight],(0)))
Events
Sep 15, 6 AM - Sep 17, 3 PM
The best SQL community-led learning event. Sept 2025. Save €200 with code FABLEARN.
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