SQL Server 2012: DENALI series-THROW statement

Hi Friends,

Continuing with my DENALI series, today I would like to talk about the new THROW statement. T-SQL TRY/CATCH were available since SQL Server 2005 but THROW and FINALLY were missing. We have THROW now, but FINALLY is yet to come 🙂

The syntax as follows:

--THROW [ { error_number | @local_variable },
--        { message | @local_variable },
--          { state | @local_variable }
--          ] [ ; ]

A simple example could be as follows:

Another example of THROW, this time inside CATCH block:

USE tempdb;
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.TestThrow
(    custID INT PRIMARY KEY
);
BEGIN TRY
    INSERT INTO dbo.TestThrow VALUES (1);
    --  Primary key violation, error number
        INSERT dbo.TestThrow(custID) VALUES(1);
        END TRY
        BEGIN CATCH
 
            PRINT 'Now in catch block.';
                THROW;
                END CATCH;

Output:

There are some notable differences between RIASERROR & THROW which I shall cover in another blog. I have also heard some people talking about deprecation of RAISERROR but I am not sure on this. (However, I don’t think that should be happening)