Why does Microsoft SQL Server check columns but not tables in stored procs?

Question

Microsoft SQL Server seems to check column name validity, but not table name validity when defining stored procedures. If it detects that a referenced table name exists cur

Answer 1

This is called deferred name resolution.

There is no way of turning it off. You can use dynamic SQL or (a nasty hack!) add a reference to a non existent table so that compilation of that statement is deferred.

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[MyProcedure]
AS
BEGIN

CREATE TABLE #Dummy (c int)

    SELECT
        NonExistantCol1, NonExistantCol2, NonExistantCol3
    FROM
        ExistantTable 
    WHERE NOT EXISTS(SELECT * FROM #Dummy)    


DROP TABLE #Dummy

END
GO