user-transact-sql.md

title	USER (Transact-SQL)
description	USER (Transact-SQL)
author	MikeRayMSFT
ms.author	mikeray
ms.date	03/06/2017
ms.service	sql
ms.subservice	t-sql
ms.topic	reference
ms.custom	ignite-2025
f1_keywords	USER USER_TSQL
helpviewer_keywords	usernames [SQL Server] system-supplied usernames [SQL Server] USER function users [SQL Server], database names names [SQL Server], database users database usernames [SQL Server]
dev_langs	TSQL
monikerRange	>=aps-pdw-2016 || =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric-sqldb

USER (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDE sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricsqldb]

Allows a system-supplied value for the database user name of the current user to be inserted into a table when no default value is specified.

:::image type="icon" source="../../includes/media/topic-link-icon.svg" border="false"::: Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

USER  

Return Types

nvarchar(128)

Remarks

USER provides the same functionality as the USER_NAME system function.

Use USER with DEFAULT constraints in either the CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE statements, or use as any standard function.

USER always returns the name of the current context. When called after an EXECUTE AS statement, USER returns the name of the impersonated context.

If a Windows principal accesses the database by way of membership in a group, USER returns the name of the Windows principal instead of the name of the group.

Examples

A. Using USER to return the database user name

The following example declares a variable as char, assigns the current value of USER to it, and then prints the variable with a text description.

DECLARE @usr CHAR(30)  
SET @usr = user  
SELECT 'The current user''s database username is: '+ @usr  
GO  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
The current user's database username is: dbo  
 
(1 row(s) affected)

B. Using USER with DEFAULT constraints

The following example creates a table by using USER as a DEFAULT constraint for the salesperson of a sales row.

USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
CREATE TABLE inventory22  
(  
 part_id INT IDENTITY(100, 1) NOT NULL,  
 description VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL,  
 entry_person VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL DEFAULT USER   
)  
GO  
INSERT inventory22 (description)  
VALUES ('Red pencil')  
INSERT inventory22 (description)  
VALUES ('Blue pencil')  
INSERT inventory22 (description)  
VALUES ('Green pencil')  
INSERT inventory22 (description)  
VALUES ('Black pencil')  
INSERT inventory22 (description)  
VALUES ('Yellow pencil')  
GO  

This is the query to select all information from the inventory22 table:

SELECT * FROM inventory22 ORDER BY part_id;  
GO  

Here is the result set (note the entry-person value):

part_id     description                    entry_person
----------- ------------------------------ -------------------------
100         Red pencil                     dbo
101         Blue pencil                    dbo
102         Green pencil                   dbo
103         Black pencil                   dbo
104         Yellow pencil                  dbo
 
(5 row(s) affected)

C. Using USER in combination with EXECUTE AS

The following example illustrates the behavior of USER when called inside an impersonated session.

SELECT USER;  
GO  
EXECUTE AS USER = 'Mario';  
GO  
SELECT USER;  
GO  
REVERT;  
GO  
SELECT USER;  
GO  

[!INCLUDEssResult]

DBO
Mario
DBO

See Also

ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL)
CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP (Transact-SQL)
CURRENT_USER (Transact-SQL)
Security Functions (Transact-SQL)
SESSION_USER (Transact-SQL)
SYSTEM_USER (Transact-SQL)
USER_NAME (Transact-SQL)