Question

When I try to run this i get an SqlException with the message “Incorrect syntax near the keyword ‘PROCEDURE’.”

120: cmd.CommandText = @"CREATE PROCEDURE FindState @Name nvarchar(50)
     AS SELECT IDState FROM State WHERE Name=@Name";
121: cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

Stack trace:

at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection)
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning()
at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Run(RunBehavior runBehavior, SqlCommand cmdHandler, SqlDataReader dataStream, BulkCopySimpleResultSet bulkCopyHandler, TdsParserStateObject stateObj)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.FinishExecuteReader(SqlDataReader ds, RunBehavior runBehavior, String resetOptionsString)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReaderTds(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, Boolean async)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream, String method, DbAsyncResult result)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.InternalExecuteNonQuery(DbAsyncResult result, String methodName, Boolean sendToPipe)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()
at xxx.Program.Main(String[] args) in C:\xxx\Program.cs:line 121

However I tried copying the SQL command directly in a SQL query and executing it and it worked. (it created the procedure)

To give you some context here is a little bigger section of the code

SqlParameter stateName = new SqlParameter();
stateName.SqlDbType = SqlDbType.NVarChar;
stateName.Direction = ParameterDirection.Input;
stateName.ParameterName = "@Name";
stateName.Size = 50;
Console.Write("Enter state name: ");
stateName.Value = Console.ReadLine();
cmd.Parameters.Add(stateName);

cmd.CommandText = @"IF EXISTS (SELECT name FROM sysobjects WHERE name='FindState' AND type='P') DROP PROCEDURE FindState";
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
cmd.CommandText = @"CREATE PROCEDURE FindState
@Name nvarchar(50)
AS
SELECT IDState FROM State WHERE Name=@Name";
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
cmd.CommandText = "FindState";
sdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();
if (sdr.HasRows)
{
  while (sdr.Read())
  {
    Console.WriteLine("ID state " + stateName.Value + " is " + sdr[0]);
  }
}
else
{
  Console.WriteLine("No such state exists");
}
sdr.Close();

Answer 1

I figured out what the problem was.
The parameter was added to the SqlCommand before creating the procedure.
I moved this line down and now it works

cmd.CommandText = @"CREATE PROCEDURE FindState @Name nvarchar(50) AS SELECT IDState FROM State WHERE Name=@Name";
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
cmd.CommandText = "FindState";
cmd.Parameters.Add(stateName);
sdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();