Question

Here’s my user-defined table type…

CREATE TYPE [dbo].[FooType] AS TABLE(
 [Bar] [INT],
)

This is what ive had to do in my table-valued function to return the type:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[GetFoos]
RETURN @FooTypes TABLE ([Bar] [INT])
INSERT INTO @FooTypes (1)
RETURN

Basically, im having to re-declare my type definition in the RETURN statement of the function. Isnt there a way i can simply declare the type in the RETURN statement?

I would have thought this would work:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[GetFoos]
RETURN @FooTypes [FooType]
INSERT INTO @FooTypes (1)
RETURN

Cannot find any help on MSDN/Google regarding this….anyone?

EDIT

I unmarked my answer, and bumping this question – as i am encountering the same scenario 6 months later.

Does anyone have any idea if it’s possible to return a user defined table type from a table valued function? If not, is there a better workaround other than what i have done? (re-declare the type again).

Answer 1

Ok – so it cant be done.

Easy enough to duplicate the table definition in the return type (with the use of scripting).

Still – hopefully this issue gets rectified in the next version of SQL Server.