Getting an odd error, SQL Server query using `WITH` clause

Question

The following query:

WITH 
    CteProductLookup(ProductId, oid) 
    AS 
    (
        SELECT p.ProductID, p.oid
        FROM [dbo].[ME_CatalogProducts] p 
          


        

Answer 1

always use with statement like ;WITH then you'll never get this error. The WITH command required a ; between it and any previous command, by always using ;WITH you'll never have to remember to do this.

see WITH common_table_expression (Transact-SQL), from the section Guidelines for Creating and Using Common Table Expressions:

When a CTE is used in a statement that is part of a batch, the statement before it must be followed by a semicolon.

Answer 2

In some cases this also occurs if you have table hints and you have spaces between WITH clause and your hint, so best to type it like:

SELECT Column1 FROM Table1 t1 WITH(NOLOCK)
INNER JOIN Table2 t2 WITH(NOLOCK) ON t1.Column1 = t2.Column1

And not:

SELECT Column1 FROM Table1 t1 WITH (NOLOCK)
INNER JOIN Table2 t2 WITH (NOLOCK) ON t1.Column1 = t2.Column1

Answer 3

It should be legal to put a semicolon directly before the WITH keyword.

Answer 4

;WITH 
    CteProductLookup(ProductId, oid) 
    AS 
...