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Asked: 2026-05-12T17:36:46+00:00

This is a follow up to my previous question , in t-sql SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY()

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This is a follow up to my previous question, in t-sql 

SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY()

returns a BIGINT, I did the following to get it to return an INT:

DECLARE @X INT

INSERT ...

SELECT @X = SCOPE_IDENTITY()

-- if i don't include the line below, it will return a BIGINT

SELECT @X

Why does it return a BIGINT unless I do SELECT @X at the end?

p.s. turns out 

SELECT @X = SCOPE_IDENTITY()

doesn’t return anything, it just sets @x

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team
    SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY()

    returns a BIGINT as you have seen

    SELECT @X = SCOPE_IDENTITY()

    returns BIGINT and casts it into INT variable @X

    So you are returning BIGINT SCOPE_IDENTITY and also concurrently casting it to INT and setting that result to @X.

    Returning @X returns the INT result.

    Just some interesting reading on the subject.

    SQL Server 7.0 Books Online also
    stated: “It is recommended that SET
    @local_variable be used for variable
    assignment rather than SELECT
    @local_variable.”

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