Specify parameters in a stored procedure
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
SQL database in Microsoft Fabric
By specifying procedure parameters, calling programs are able to pass values into the body of the procedure. Those values can be used for a variety of purposes during procedure execution. Procedure parameters can also return values to the calling program if the parameter is marked as an OUTPUT parameter.
A procedure can have a maximum of 2100 parameters; each assigned a name, data type, and direction. Optionally, parameters can be assigned default values.
The following section provides information about passing values into parameters and about how each of the parameter attributes is used during a procedure call.
Note
Refer to the AdventureWorks series of sample databases for this article's exercises. For more information, see AdventureWorks sample databases.
Pass values into parameters
The parameter values supplied with a procedure call must be constants or a variable; a function name cannot be used as a parameter value. Variables can be user-defined or system variables such as @@spid.
The following examples demonstrate passing parameter values to the procedure uspGetWhereUsedProductID. They illustrate how to pass parameters as constants and variables and also how to use a variable to pass the value of a function.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
-- Passing values as constants.
EXEC dbo.uspGetWhereUsedProductID 819, '20050225';
GO
-- Passing values as variables.
DECLARE @ProductID int, @CheckDate datetime;
SET @ProductID = 819;
SET @CheckDate = '20050225';
EXEC dbo.uspGetWhereUsedProductID @ProductID, @CheckDate;
GO
The following example returns an error because a function cannot be passed as a parameter value.
-- Try to use a function as a parameter value.
-- This produces an error message.
EXEC dbo.uspGetWhereUsedProductID 819, GETDATE();
Instead, use a variable to pass a function value to the parameter, as in the following example:
-- Passing the function value as a variable.
DECLARE @CheckDate datetime;
SET @CheckDate = GETDATE();
EXEC dbo.uspGetWhereUsedProductID 819, @CheckDate;
GO
Specify parameter names
When creating a procedure and declaring a parameter name, the parameter name must begin with a single @ character and must be unique in the scope of the procedure.
Explicitly naming the parameters and assigning the appropriate values to each parameter in a procedure call allows the parameters to be supplied in any order. For example, if the procedure my_proc expects three parameters named @first, @second, and @third, the values passed to the procedure can be assigned to the parameter names, such as: EXECUTE my_proc @second = 2, @first = 1, @third = 3;.
Note
If one parameter value is supplied in the form @parameter = value, all subsequent parameters must be supplied in this manner. If the parameter values are not passed in the form @parameter = value, the values must be supplied in the identical order (left to right) as the parameters are listed in the CREATE PROCEDURE statement. It is a good practice to specify parameter names, both for superior readability and compatibility with future versions of the stored procedure.
Warning
Any parameter passed in the form @parameter = value with the parameter misspelled, will cause SQL Server to generate an error and prevent procedure execution.
Specify parameter data types
Parameters must be defined with a data type when they are declared in a CREATE PROCEDURE statement. The data type of a parameter determines the type and range of values that are accepted for the parameter when the procedure is called. For example, if you define a parameter with a tinyint data type, only numeric values ranging from 0 to 255 are accepted when passed into that parameter. An error is returned if a procedure is executed with a value incompatible with the data type.
Specify parameter default values
A parameter is considered optional if the parameter has a default value specified when it is declared. It is not necessary to provide a value for an optional parameter in a procedure call.
The default value of a parameter is used when:
- No value for the parameter is specified in the procedure call.
- The DEFAULT keyword is specified as the value in the procedure call.
Note
If the default value is a character string that contains embedded blanks or punctuation, or if it starts with a number (for example, 6abc), it must be enclosed in single, straight quotation marks.
Note
Default parameters are not supported in Azure Synapse Analytics or Analytics Platform System (PDW).
If no value can be specified appropriately as a default for the parameter, specify NULL as the default. It is a good idea to have the procedure return a customized message if the procedure is executed without a value for the parameter.
The following example creates the uspGetSalesYTD procedure with one input parameter, @SalesPerson. NULL is assigned as the default value for the parameter and is used in error handling statements to return a custom error message for cases when the procedure is executed without a value for the @SalesPerson parameter.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
IF OBJECT_ID('Sales.uspGetSalesYTD', 'P') IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE Sales.uspGetSalesYTD;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE Sales.uspGetSalesYTD
@SalesPerson nvarchar(50) = NULL -- NULL default value
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON;
-- Validate the @SalesPerson parameter.
IF @SalesPerson IS NULL
BEGIN
PRINT 'ERROR: You must specify the last name of the sales person.'
RETURN
END
-- Get the sales for the specified sales person and
-- assign it to the output parameter.
SELECT SalesYTD
FROM Sales.SalesPerson AS sp
JOIN HumanResources.vEmployee AS e ON e.BusinessEntityID = sp.BusinessEntityID
WHERE LastName = @SalesPerson;
RETURN
GO
The following example executes the procedure. The first statement executes the procedure without specifying an input value. This causes the error handling statements in the procedure to return the custom error message. The second statement supplies an input value and returns the expected result set.
-- Run the procedure without specifying an input value.
EXEC Sales.uspGetSalesYTD;
GO
-- Run the procedure with an input value.
EXEC Sales.uspGetSalesYTD N'Blythe';
GO
Although parameters for which defaults have been supplied can be omitted, the list of non-nullable parameters can only be truncated. For example, if a procedure has five parameters, without specifying the parameter names with a @parameter = value, the fourth and the fifth parameters can be omitted. However, the fourth parameter cannot be skipped as long as the fifth parameter is included, unless the parameters are supplied in the form @parameter = value.
Specify multiple parameters with default values
You can omit parameters if you specify the parameters names. Consider the following stored procedure with multiple optional parameters with NULL default values.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
IF OBJECT_ID ( 'Production.uspSearchList', 'P' ) IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE Production.uspSearchList;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE Production.uspSearchList
@ListPrice money
, @ProductCategoryID int = NULL -- NULL default value
, @ProductSubcategoryID int = NULL -- NULL default value
, @ProductBusinessEntityID int = NULL -- NULL default value
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON;
SELECT
p.Name, p.Class, p.ListPrice, p.ProductID, pc.Name, psc.Name, v.Name
FROM
Production.Product AS p
INNER JOIN Production.ProductSubCategory AS psc ON p.ProductSubcategoryID = psc.ProductSubcategoryID
INNER JOIN Production.ProductCategory AS pc ON psc.ProductCategoryID = pc.ProductCategoryID
INNER JOIN Purchasing.ProductVendor AS pv ON p.ProductID = pv.ProductID
INNER JOIN Purchasing.Vendor AS v ON pv.BusinessEntityID = v.BusinessEntityID
WHERE (p.ListPrice < @ListPrice)
AND (pc.ProductCategoryID = @ProductCategoryID or @ProductCategoryID IS NULL)
AND (psc.ProductSubcategoryID = @ProductSubcategoryID or @ProductSubcategoryID IS NULL)
AND (pv.BusinessEntityID = @ProductBusinessEntityID or @ProductBusinessEntityID IS NULL);
GO
You can specify or omit parameters with default values, as the series of following examples demonstrates, as long as each is supplied with its parameter name in the form @parameter = value:
--Find all Products with a list price less than 150.00 and in the ProductCategoryID = 4
EXEC Production.uspSearchList @ListPrice = 150, @ProductCategoryID = 4;
--Find all Products with a list price less than 150.00 and in the ProductSubCategoryID = 36
EXEC Production.uspSearchList @ListPrice = 150, @ProductSubCategoryID = 36;
--Find all Products with a list price less than 150.00 and from @ProductBusinessEntityID = 1498
EXEC Production.uspSearchList @ListPrice = 150, @ProductBusinessEntityID = 1498;
--Find all Products with a list price less than 150.00 and in the ProductSubCategoryID = 36 and from @ProductBusinessEntityID = 1498
EXEC Production.uspSearchList @ListPrice = 150, @ProductCategoryID = 4, @ProductBusinessEntityID = 1498;
The following example is not valid T-SQL syntax, because all subsequent parameters must be supplied in the same way, once a parameter name is provided. Supplying parameter names for all values is always recommended and prevents errors and confusion.
EXEC Production.uspSearchList @ListPrice = 150, 4, 1498;
Specify parameter direction
The direction of a parameter is either input, a value is passed into the body of the procedure, or output, the procedure returns a value to the calling program. The default is an input parameter.
To specify an output parameter, the OUTPUT keyword must be specified in the definition of the parameter in the CREATE PROCEDURE statement. The procedure returns the current value of the output parameter to the calling program when the procedure exits. The calling program must also use the OUTPUT keyword when executing the procedure to save the parameter's value in a variable that can be used in the calling program.
The following example creates the Production.usp_GetList procedure, which returns a list of products that have prices that do not exceed a specified amount. The example shows using multiple SELECT statements and multiple OUTPUT parameters. OUTPUT parameters allow an external procedure, a batch, or more than one Transact-SQL statement to access a value set during the procedure execution.
USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
IF OBJECT_ID ( 'Production.uspGetList', 'P' ) IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE Production.uspGetList;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE Production.uspGetList
@Product varchar(40)
, @MaxPrice money
, @ComparePrice money OUTPUT
, @ListPrice money OUT
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON;
SELECT p.[Name] AS Product, p.ListPrice AS 'List Price'
FROM Production.Product AS p
JOIN Production.ProductSubcategory AS s
ON p.ProductSubcategoryID = s.ProductSubcategoryID
WHERE s.[Name] LIKE @Product AND p.ListPrice < @MaxPrice;
-- Populate the output variable @ListPprice.
SET @ListPrice = (SELECT MAX(p.ListPrice)
FROM Production.Product AS p
JOIN Production.ProductSubcategory AS s
ON p.ProductSubcategoryID = s.ProductSubcategoryID
WHERE s.[Name] LIKE @Product AND p.ListPrice < @MaxPrice);
-- Populate the output variable @compareprice.
SET @ComparePrice = @MaxPrice;
GO
Execute usp_GetList to return a list of Adventure Works products (Bikes) that cost less than $700. The OUTPUT parameters @cost and @compareprices are used with control-of-flow language to return a message in the Messages window.
Note
The OUTPUT variable must be defined during the procedure creation and also during the use of the variable. The parameter name and variable name do not have to match. However, the data type and parameter positioning must match (unless @listprice = variable is used).
DECLARE @ComparePrice money, @Cost money ;
EXECUTE Production.uspGetList '%Bikes%', 700,
@ComparePrice OUT,
@Cost OUTPUT
IF @Cost <= @ComparePrice
BEGIN
PRINT 'These products can be purchased for less than
$'+RTRIM(CAST(@ComparePrice AS varchar(20)))+'.'
END
ELSE
PRINT 'The prices for all products in this category exceed
$'+ RTRIM(CAST(@ComparePrice AS varchar(20)))+'.';
Here is the partial result set:
Product List Price
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------
Road-750 Black, 58 539.99
Mountain-500 Silver, 40 564.99
Mountain-500 Silver, 42 564.99
...
Road-750 Black, 48 539.99
Road-750 Black, 52 539.99
(14 row(s) affected)
These items can be purchased for less than $700.00.