Steve Jones - Editor (5/14/2008)

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I've seen queries similar, and people would write them. The fact that it compiles is a bad thing in my mind.

Someone submitted this and I think it's a good tickler to let people know that there might be developers that would write this. Perhaps not intentionally, but once it worked, they might keep writing.

The fact you wouldn't allow it doesn't mean that you shouldn't know this behavior, while buggy and perhaps not desired, is available.

ezlikesundaymorning (5/14/2008)

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OK, just plain and simple, I am going to give my 2 cents worth here. This question is pure BS. I mean has anyone here ever seen a query written like this? In my house(place of business) the person who tried to get this through me, would be ridiculed beyond belief. I mean really, did I get the question wrong, yep. Did I also think that the question was misleading, yep. Do I know a developer that would try to get this past me, nope. Lets get some real questions in here. First off I do not even let anyone write in ANSI 89 SQL. Plain and simple it is my way or the highway.

Jason Miller (5/14/2008)

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Syntactically correct, but it doesn't produce meaningful results. I agree with the previous posts, it compiles and executes, but what is it trying to provide?

Carla Wilson (5/14/2008)

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This syntax includes the WITH "CTE" syntax, and on this page, the SELECT statement shows the FROM clause as optional! Perhaps when CTEs were introduced in SQL 2005, this changed the "rules".

SELECT getdate()

;with number as (
select 1 as n union all
select 3)
select n from number

Specifies the tables, views, derived tables, and joined tables used in DELETE, SELECT, and UPDATE statements. In the SELECT statement, the FROM clause is required except when the select list contains only constants, variables, and arithmetic expressions (no column names).

A subquery nested in the outer SELECT statement has the following components:

A regular SELECT query including the regular select list components.

A regular FROM clause including one or more table or view names.

An optional WHERE clause.

An optional GROUP BY clause.

An optional HAVING clause.