Question

Possible Duplicate:
SQL: Using Select *

Hi everyone!

I wonder if it is really a bad idea to use the * symbol in stored procedure in SQL server?
Is really better to write

SELECT
 NAME,
 AGE,
 OTHER_STUFFS

FROM
 TABLE

than

SELECT * FROM TABLE

For sure is only 3 columns in the table.. For performances is it better to enumerate every column?
Tanks for help..

Answer 1

While you might be using all the columns now it’s possible (likely even) that the table will have columns added to it in the future. When this happens you will be selecting extra data and depending what you are doing with it this could cause problems.

Stolen from duplicate post Which is faster/best? SELECT * or SELECT column1, colum2, column3, etc:

You may be willing to dismiss this as
a minor cost, but realize that columns
that you don’t need still must be:

1. Read from database
2. Sent across the network
3. Marshalled into your process
4. (for ADO-type technologies) Saved in a data-table in-memory
5. Ignored and discarded / garbage-collected