Question

I’m trying to create a new function in SQL with the following code:

CREATE FUNCTION PROFITIBLE_CATEGORIES (@startDate date, @endDate date)
RETURNS @ResultTable TABLE (Name varchar(20), AMOUNT INT)
AS BEGIN
    @ResultTable =  SELECT TOP 5 NAME, COUNT(*) AS AMOUNT
                    FROM dbo.PURCHASES P JOIN 
                        (SELECT PInC.NAME, PInC.[Walmart number],
                                 PInSP.[Purchase Id] AS PInSP_PURCHASE_ID,
                                 DPP.[Purchase Id] AS DPP_PURCHASE_ID

                         FROM dbo.PRODUCTS_IN_CATEGORIES PInC LEFT JOIN 
                         dbo.Products_in_self_pick_up_purchases PInSP ON 
                         PInC.[Walmart number] = PInSP.[Walmart number] LEFT JOIN
                         dbo.Delivered_products_purchases DPP ON 
                         DPP.[Walmart number] = PInC.[Walmart number]) X
                         ON (P.[Purchase Id] = X.DPP_PURCHASE_ID) 
                         OR (P.[Purchase Id] = X.PInSP_PURCHASE_ID)
                    WHERE [Date] < @endDate AND [Date] > @startDate
                    GROUP BY NAME
                    ORDER BY AMOUNT
    RETURN 
    END

but I’m getting the following error:

Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Procedure PROFITIBLE_CATEGORIES, Line 4

Incorrect syntax near ‘@ResultTable’.

anyone can help?
It’s probably a syntax error, but I’m new to this.
thanks in advance.

Answer 1

A slightly more efficient approach would be an inline table-valued function:

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.PROFITIBLE_CATEGORIES
(
  @startDate date, 
  @endDate date
)
RETURNS TABLE
WITH SCHEMABINDING
AS
    RETURN 
    (
       SELECT TOP (5) NAME, COUNT(*) AS AMOUNT
       FROM dbo.PURCHASES P JOIN 
                       (SELECT PInC.NAME, PInC.[Walmart number],
                                 PInSP.[Purchase Id] AS PInSP_PURCHASE_ID,
                                 DPP.[Purchase Id] AS DPP_PURCHASE_ID

                         FROM dbo.PRODUCTS_IN_CATEGORIES PInC LEFT JOIN 
                         dbo.Products_in_self_pick_up_purchases PInSP ON 
                         PInC.[Walmart number] = PInSP.[Walmart number] LEFT JOIN
                         dbo.Delivered_products_purchases DPP ON 
                         DPP.[Walmart number] = PInC.[Walmart number]) X
                         ON (P.[Purchase Id] = X.DPP_PURCHASE_ID) 
                         OR (P.[Purchase Id] = X.PInSP_PURCHASE_ID)
                    WHERE [Date] < @endDate AND [Date] > @startDate
                    GROUP BY NAME
                    ORDER BY AMOUNT
    );
GO