GO causes error when used in EXEC: "Incorrect syntax near 'GO'."

sql-server, sql-server-express, t-sql

Solution

1) `EXEC[UTE]` can execute only T-SQL statements.

`GO` is not T-SQL statement.

GO is not a Transact-SQL statement; it is a command recognized by the sqlcmd and osql utilities and SQL Server Management Studio Code editor. SQL Server utilities interpret GO as a signal that they should send the current batch of Transact-SQL statements to an instance of SQL Server.

2) You could replace

     SET @SQL = '
--Drop Trigger
BEGIN TRY
     DROP TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit]
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
END CATCH
GO

--Create Trigger
CREATE TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit]

with

DECLARE @TriggerName SYSNAME;
SET @TriggerName = 'TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit';

IF EXISTS (
    SELECT  *
    FROM    sys.triggers 
    WHERE   parent_id = OBJECT_ID(@TableName)
    AND     name = @TriggerName
)
BEGIN
     SET @SQL = N'DROP TRIGGER [dbo].' + QUOTENAME(@TriggerName);
     EXEC(@SQL);
END

    SET @SQL = '
--Create Trigger
CREATE TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit]

or (better)

with

DECLARE @TriggerName SYSNAME;
SET @TriggerName = 'TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit';

IF NOT EXISTS (
    SELECT  *
    FROM    sys.triggers 
    WHERE   parent_id = OBJECT_ID(@TableName)
    AND     name = @TriggerName
)
BEGIN
     SET @SQL = N'CREATE TRIGGER [dbo].' + QUOTENAME(@TriggerName) + 'ON ' + @TableName + ' AFTER INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE AS BEGIN SELECT NULL END';
     EXEC(@SQL);
END

    SET @SQL = '
--Alter Trigger
ALTER TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit]

Note: The object's name should be `NVARCHAR(128)` or `SYSNAME`.

Problem

I've created this stored procedure which dynamically creates the same trigger for all my tables: ``` USE [MyDatabase] GO SET ANSI_NULLS ON GO SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON GO --Drop Stored Procedure BEGIN TRY DROP PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_CreateDataChangedTrigger] END TRY BEGIN CATCH END CATCH GO --Create Stored Procedure -- ================================================ -- Template generated from Template Explorer using: -- Create Procedure (New Menu).SQL -- -- Use the Specify Values for Template Parameters -- command (Ctrl-Shift-M) to fill in the parameter -- values below. -- -- This block of comments will not be included in -- the definition of the procedure. -- ================================================ -- ============================================= -- Author: Scott Bass -- Create date: 06JUL2014 -- Description: Create Data Change triggers -- ============================================= CREATE PROCEDURE sp_CreateDataChangedTrigger -- Add the parameters for the stored procedure here @TableName varchar(255), @TableKey varchar(255), @Debug bit=1 AS BEGIN -- SET NOCOUNT ON added to prevent extra result sets from -- interfering with SELECT statements. SET NOCOUNT ON; DECLARE @SQL varchar(max); SET @SQL = ' --Drop Trigger BEGIN TRY DROP TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit] END TRY BEGIN CATCH END CATCH GO --Create Trigger CREATE TRIGGER [dbo].[TR_' + @TableName + '_Audit] ON [dbo].[' + @TableName + '] AFTER INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE AS BEGIN SET NOCOUNT ON DECLARE @event_type [char] --Get Event Type IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM INSERTED) IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM DELETED) SELECT @event_type = ''U'' ELSE SELECT @event_type = ''I'' ELSE IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM deleted) SELECT @event_type = ''D'' ELSE --no rows affected - cannot determine event SELECT @event_type = ''K'' IF @event_type IN (''I'',''U'') BEGIN DECLARE @CurrentUserID INT; SELECT @CurrentUserID = u.UserID FROM [dbo].[dim_Users] u WHERE u.[Username] = dbo.udfUserName() UPDATE t SET DateModified = GETDATE(), WhoModifiedID = @CurrentUserID FROM INSERTED e JOIN [dbo].[' + @TableName + '] t ON e.[' + @TableKey + '] = t.[' + @TableKey + '] END IF @event_type = ''D'' BEGIN no_op: --Nothing for now END END GO '; IF @Debug=1 BEGIN set nocount on; print @SQL; END ELSE BEGIN exec(@SQL); END END GO ``` If I call the SP with the debug option: ``` SET NOCOUNT ON; DECLARE @return_value int EXEC @return_value = [dbo].[sp_CreateDataChangedTrigger] @TableName = N'dim_Status', @TableKey = N'StatusID', @Debug = 1 SELECT 'Return Value' = @return_value GO ``` Then submit the results from the Messages window, it works fine. But, when I turn the @Debug switch off, I get these error messages: Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 10 Incorrect syntax near 'GO'. Msg 111, Level 15, State 1, Line 13 'CREATE TRIGGER' must be the first statement in a query batch. Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 51 Incorrect syntax near 'GO'. Thanks...

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