Known limitations of triggers

Building and Optimizing Triggers in SQL Server

Florin Angelescu

Instructor

Advantages of triggers

Used for database integrity
Enforce business rules directly in the database
Control on which statements are allowed in a database
Implementation of complex business logic triggered by a single event
Simple way to audit databases and user actions

Disadvantages of triggers

Difficult to view and detect
Invisible to client applications or when debugging code
Hard to follow their logic when troubleshooting
Can become an overhead on the server and make it run slower

Finding server-level triggers

SELECT * FROM sys.server_triggers;

| name                 | parent_class_desc | create_date | is_disabled |...|
|----------------------|-------------------|-------------|-------------|---|
| DenyNewDatabases     | SERVER            | 2019-01-22  | 0           |...|
| DenyNewLinkedServers | SERVER            | 2019-01-22  | 1           |...|
| DenyDatabaseDelete   | SERVER            | 2019-01-22  | 1           |...|

Finding database and table triggers

SELECT * FROM sys.triggers;

| name                   | parent_class_desc | create_date | is_disabled | is_instead_of_trigger |
|----------------------|-------------------|-------------|---------------|-----------------------|
| TrackRetiredProducts   | OBJECT_OR_COLUMN  | 2019-04-19  | 0           | 0                     |
| PreventOrdersUpdate    | OBJECT_OR_COLUMN  | 2019-04-22  | 0           | 1                     |
| TrackDatabaseTables    | DATABASE          | 2019-04-23  | 0           | 0                     |
| KeepCanceledOrders     | OBJECT_OR_COLUMN  | 2019-04-27  | 0           | 0                     |
| DiscountsPreventDelete | OBJECT_OR_COLUMN  | 2019-04-27  | 0           | 1                     |
| PreventNewDiscounts    | OBJECT_OR_COLUMN  | 2019-04-27  | 0           | 1                     |
| PreventTableDeletion   | DATABASE          | 2019-04-27  | 0           | 0                     |

Viewing a trigger definition (option 1)

View Trigger Defitinion from SSMS

CREATE TRIGGER PreventOrdersUpdate
ON Orders
INSTEAD OF UPDATE
AS
RAISERROR ('Updates on "Orders" table
            are not permitted.
            Place a new order
            to add new products.', 16, 1);

Viewing a trigger definition (option 2)

SELECT definition
FROM sys.sql_modules
WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID ('PreventOrdersUpdate');

| definition                                                   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| CREATE TRIGGER PreventOrdersUpdate                           |
| ON Orders                                                    |
| INSTEAD OF UPDATE                                            |
| AS                                                           |
| RAISERROR ('Updates on "Orders" table are not permitted.     |
|             Place a new order to add new products.', 16, 1); |

Viewing a trigger definition (option 3)

SELECT OBJECT_DEFINITION (OBJECT_ID ('PreventOrdersUpdate'));

| (No column name)                                             |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| CREATE TRIGGER PreventOrdersUpdate                           |
| ON Orders                                                    |
| INSTEAD OF UPDATE                                            |
| AS                                                           |
| RAISERROR ('Updates on "Orders" table are not permitted.     |
|             Place a new order to add new products.', 16, 1); |

Viewing a trigger definition (option 4)

EXECUTE sp_helptext @objname = 'PreventOrdersUpdate';

| Text                                                         |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| CREATE TRIGGER PreventOrdersUpdate                           |
| ON Orders                                                    |
| INSTEAD OF UPDATE                                            |
| AS                                                           |
| RAISERROR ('Updates on "Orders" table are not permitted.     |
|             Place a new order to add new products.', 16, 1); |

Triggers best practice

Tips:

well-documented database design
simple logic in trigger design
avoid overusing triggers

Let's practice!

Building and Optimizing Triggers in SQL Server