Brief Introduction to Triggers in SQL Server 2000

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A trigger is a database object that is Bind to a table. In many aspects it is similar to a stored procedure and are often referred to as a "special kind of stored procedure." SQL Server 2000 greatly enhances trigger functionality, extending the capabilities of the triggers you already know and love, and adding a whole new type of trigger, the "Instead Of" trigger.

When to Use Triggers

There are many reasons to use triggers. If you have a table which keeps a log of messages, you may want to have a copy of them mailed to you if they are urgent. If there were no triggers you would have some solutions, though they are not as elegant. You could modify the application(s) logging the messages. This means that you might be redundantly coding the same thing in every application that logs messages.

Tables can have multiple triggers. The CREATE TRIGGER statement can be defined with the FOR UPDATE, FOR INSERT, or FOR DELETE clauses to target a trigger to a specific class of data modification actions. When FOR UPDATE is specified, the IF UPDATE (column_name) clause can be used to target a trigger to updates affecting a particular column.

SQL Server 2000 greatly enhances trigger functionality, extending the capabilities of the triggers you already know and love, and adding a whole new type of trigger, the "Instead Of" trigger.

SQL Server 2000 has many types of triggers:

1. After Trigger
2. Multiple After Triggers
3. Instead Of Triggers
4. Mixing Triggers Type

Next: After Triggers >>
 

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