Home/ Questions/Q 254541
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-05-11T21:51:19+00:00

If I want to set a variable to a field in a table I

  • 0

If I want to set a variable to a field in a table I normally use something like

SELECT @UserIdToUpdate = userId FROM #NewUsers

In this case there will be multiple results and I just want the first one so I tried this but it fails and says invalid syntax top

SELECT @UserIdToUpdate = TOP 1 UserId FROM #NewUsers

If this is this case can I just usethe first example without the top? I assume it will just take the first record? I know it seems like on odd thing to do but the command is in a loop so it will select a record, do something with it, delete it then select the next one.

Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team
    SELECT @UserIdToUpdate = NULL
SELECT TOP 1 @UserIdToUpdate = userId FROM #NewUsers

    The first statement is needed because if the second finds zero rows, then the variable will not get assigned at all and will keep its prior value.

    Alternatively,

    SELECT @UserIdToUpdate = (SELECT TOP 1 userId FROM #NewUsers)

    this will work even if zero rows are found.

    • 0