Is there a way to make a TSQL variable constant?

Question

Is there a way to make a TSQL variable constant?

Answer 1

The best answer is from SQLMenace according to the requirement if that is to create a temporary constant for use within scripts, i.e. across multiple GO statements/batches.

Just create the procedure in the tempdb then you have no impact on the target database.

One practical example of this is a database create script which writes a control value at the end of the script containing the logical schema version. At the top of the file are some comments with change history etc... But in practice most developers will forget to scroll down and update the schema version at the bottom of the file.

Using the above code allows a visible schema version constant to be defined at the top before the database script (copied from the generate scripts feature of SSMS) creates the database but used at the end. This is right in the face of the developer next to the change history and other comments, so they are very likely to update it.

For example:

use tempdb
go
create function dbo.MySchemaVersion()
returns int
as
begin
    return 123
end
go

use master
go

-- Big long database create script with multiple batches...
print 'Creating database schema version ' + CAST(tempdb.dbo.MySchemaVersion() as NVARCHAR) + '...'
go
-- ...
go
-- ...
go
use MyDatabase
go

-- Update schema version with constant at end (not normally possible as GO puts
-- local @variables out of scope)
insert MyConfigTable values ('SchemaVersion', tempdb.dbo.MySchemaVersion())
go

-- Clean-up
use tempdb
drop function MySchemaVersion
go