SQL Server - Keywords

Keywords are reserved words and SQL Server (Transact-SQL) has a number of keywords that are available while working on a database. A list of these keywords with brief description are mentioned below. For more details about any keyword, please visit its page.

SQL Server Keywords

Keyword	Description
ADD	Adds a column in an existing table.
ADD CONSTRAINT	Adds a constraint after a table is already created.
ALTER	Adds, deletes, or modifies columns in a table, or changes the data type of a column in a table.
ALTER COLUMN	Changes the data type of a column in a table.
ALTER TABLE	Adds, deletes, or modifies columns in an existing table.
ALL	Returns true if all of the subquery values satisfies the condition.
AND	Combines multiple conditions and include a record if all the conditions separated by AND keyword are true.
ANY	Returns true if any of the subquery values satisfies the condition.
AS	Renames a column or table with an alias.
ASC	Sorts the result set in ascending order.
BETWEEN	Specify a range in SQL Server statement.
CASE	Creates different outputs based on conditions.
CHECK	A constraint to ensures that all values in a column of a table satisfies specified condition.
COLUMN	Changes the data type of a column or deletes a column in a table.
CONSTRAINT	Adds or deletes a constraint.
CREATE DATABASE	Creates a new SQL Server database.
CREATE INDEX	Creates an index on a table (allows duplicate values).
CREATE OR ALTER VIEW	Updates a view.
CREATE TABLE	Creates a new table in the database.
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX	Creates a unique index on a table (no duplicate values).
CREATE VIEW	Creates a view based on a SELECT statement.
DEFAULT	A constraint used to set the default value for a column.
DELETE	Deletes the existing records from a table.
DESC	Sorts the result set in descending order.
DISTINCT	Selects only distinct (different) values from the database.
DROP	Deletes a column, constraint, database, index, table, or view.
DROP COLUMN	Deletes a column in a table.
DROP CONSTRAINT	Deletes a UNIQUE, PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, or CHECK constraint.
DROP DATABASE	Deletes an existing SQL Server database.
DROP DEFAULT	Deletes a DEFAULT constraint.
DROP INDEX	Deletes an index on a table.
DROP TABLE	Deletes an existing table from the database.
DROP VIEW	Deletes a view.
EXCEPT	Returns all records from the first result-set that do not appear in the second result-set.
EXISTS	Tests for the existence of records from a subquery.
FOREIGN KEY	A constraint that is a key used to link two tables together.
FROM	Specifies which table to select or delete data from
FULL JOIN	Returns all rows from both of the tables when there is a match in either left table or right table.
FULL OUTER JOIN	Returns all rows from both of the tables when there is a match in either left table or right table.
GROUP BY	Arrange the result table into identical groups (used with aggregate functions: COUNT, MAX, MIN, SUM, AVG).
HAVING	Specify conditions with aggregate functions.
IN	Specify multiple values with a SQL Server WHERE clause.
INDEX	Creates or deletes an index on a table.
INNER JOIN	Returns all rows from both of the tables when there is a match between the columns.
INSERT INTO	Inserts a new record in a table.
INSERT INTO SELECT	Copies data from one table into another table
INTERSECT	Returns the intersection of result-set of two or more SELECT statements.
IS NULL	Tests for empty values of a field.
IS NOT NULL	Tests for non-empty values of a field.
JOIN	Joins rows of two or more tables based on common column between them.
LEFT JOIN	Returns all rows of the left table and matching rows of the right table.
LEFT OUTER JOIN	Returns all rows of the left table and matching rows of the right table.
LIKE	Search for a specified pattern in a specified column.
NOT	Include a record where the specified condition is not true.
NOT LIKE	Negation of LIKE.
NOT NULL	A constraint that enforces a column to not accept NULL values.
OR	Combines multiple conditions and include a record if any of the conditions separated by OR keyword is true.
ORDER BY	Sorts the result table in ascending or descending order.
PRIMARY KEY	A constraint that ensures that all values in a column are unique and not null.
RIGHT JOIN	Returns all rows of the right table and matching rows of the left table.
RIGHT OUTER JOIN	Returns all rows of the right table and matching rows of the left table.
SELECT	Selects data from a database.
SELECT DISTINCT	Selects only distinct (different) values from a database.
SELECT INTO	Copies data from one table into a new table
SELECT TOP	Specifies number or percentage of records to fetch from a table.
SET	Specifies which columns and values that should be updated in a table.
SOME	Returns true if any of the subquery values satisfies the condition.
TOP	Specifies number or percentage of records to fetch from a table.
TRUNCATE TABLE	Deletes the complete data from an existing table, but not the table itself.
UNION	Combines the result set of two or more SELECT statements (only distinct values).
UNION ALL	Combines the result set of two or more SELECT statements (allows duplicate values).
UNIQUE	A constraint that ensures that all values in a column are unique.
UPDATE	Updates the existing records in a table.
VALUES	Specifies the values of an INSERT INTO statement
VIEW	Creates, updates, or deletes a view
WHERE	Filters a result set to include only records that fulfill a specified condition