Q105336 - BUG: SELECT INTO Does Not Raise Error with No Column Name

BUG: SELECT INTO Does Not Raise Error with No Column Name

Q105336

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2x


BUG#  NT: 489 (4.2)

SYMPTOMS

If a table is created using SELECT INTO, and no column name is given, sp_help <tablename> returns error 515:

attempt to insert the value NULL into column <col_name>, table tempdb.dbo.#sphelptab_.....column does not allow nulls.

Retrievals and updates of the data work fine on the table. Select * on the table shows that some of the columns have NULL column names.

CAUSE

The SELECT INTO statement puts a NULL for the column name when aggregate function is used and no column name is given. A table should not have NULL column names.

For example:


     select count(*), title_id
     into t
     from titles

creates table t with two columns: NULL, and title_id. Sp_help t gives error 515.

WORKAROUND

Make sure the columns names are supplied when using SELECT INTO.

For example:


     select cnt=count(*), title_id
     into t
     from titles

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server version 4.2.

Additional query words: syscolumns sp_help function

Keywords : kbprogramming
Issue type :
Technology : kbSQLServSearch kbAudDeveloper kbSQLServ420OS2