Question

DECLARE @tmp_tab VARCHAR(20)
SELECT  @TMP_TAB = '#TMP_TAB_BANK' + CAST(USER_ID(USER) AS NVARCHAR)
                                    + CAST(@@SPID AS NVARCHAR)

EXEC('CREATE TABLE ' + @TMP_TAB + (ID INT NULL, NAME VARCHAR NULL)')

//Break point

EXEC('select * from ' + @TMP_TAB)

I’m working in SQL Server 2005. In the code above I decide what to name my temp table. Then I create the temp table. If I run just these codes I receive Commands completed successfully message.

However if I execute the last line of code to retrieve the data (well, I know it’s empty) I get

invalid object name ‘#TMP_TAB_BANK157’

Why can’t I fetch records from a just created table? If the temp table was not created then why don’t I get any warning?

Answer 1

#TEMP tables are only available from the context they are created in. If you create #temp1 in one spid or connection, you can’t access it from any other scope, except for child scopes.

If you create the #TEMP table in dynamic SQL, you need to select from it in the same scope.

Alternatives are:

• ##GLOBAL temp tables, which have their own risks.
• Real tables