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title SET FMTONLY (Transact-SQL)
description SET FMTONLY (Transact-SQL)
author WilliamDAssafMSFT
ms.author wiassaf
ms.date 06/03/2019
ms.service sql
ms.subservice t-sql
ms.topic reference
ms.custom
ignite-2025
f1_keywords
FMTONLY_TSQL
FMTONLY
SET FMTONLY
SET_FMTONLY_TSQL
helpviewer_keywords
metadata [SQL Server], only metadata returned
SET FMTONLY statement
FMTONLY option
dev_langs
TSQL
monikerRange >=aps-pdw-2016 || =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric || =fabric-sqldb

SET FMTONLY (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDEsql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricse-fabricdw-fabricsqldb]

Returns only metadata to the client. Can be used to test the format of the response without actually running the query.

Note

Do not use this feature. This feature has been replaced by the following items:

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

Syntax

SET FMTONLY { ON | OFF }

Remarks

When FMTONLY is ON, a rowset is returned with the column names, but without any data rows.

SET FMTONLY ON has no effect when the Transact-SQL batch is parsed. The effect occurs during execution run time.

The default value is OFF.

Permissions

Requires membership in the public role.

Examples

The following Transact-SQL code example sets FMTONLY to ON. This setting causes SQL Server to return only metadata information about the selected columns. Specifically, the column names are returned. No data rows are returned.

In the example, the test execution of stored procedure prc_gm29 returns the following:

  • Multiple rowsets.
  • Columns from multiple tables, in one of its SELECT statements.
SET NOCOUNT ON;
GO

DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS prc_gm29;

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #tabTemp41;
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #tabTemp42;
GO

CREATE TABLE #tabTemp41
(
   KeyInt41        INT           NOT NULL,
   Name41          NVARCHAR(16)  NOT NULL,
   TargetDateTime  DATETIME      NOT NULL  DEFAULT GetDate()
);

CREATE TABLE #tabTemp42
(
   KeyInt42 INT          NOT NULL,   -- JOIN-able to KeyInt41.
   Name42   NVARCHAR(16) NOT NULL
);
GO

INSERT INTO #tabTemp41 (KeyInt41, Name41) VALUES (10, 't41-c');
INSERT INTO #tabTemp42 (KeyInt42, Name42) VALUES (10, 't42-p');
GO

CREATE PROCEDURE prc_gm29
AS
BEGIN
SELECT * FROM #tabTemp41;
SELECT * FROM #tabTemp42;

SELECT t41.KeyInt41, t41.TargetDateTime, t41.Name41, t42.Name42
   FROM
                 #tabTemp41 AS t41
      INNER JOIN #tabTemp42 AS t42 on t42.KeyInt42 = t41.KeyInt41
END;
GO

SET DATEFORMAT mdy;

SET FMTONLY ON;
EXECUTE prc_gm29;   -- Returns multiple tables.
SET FMTONLY OFF;
GO

DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS prc_gm29;

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #tabTemp41;
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #tabTemp42;
GO

/****  Actual Output:
[C:\JunkM\]
>> osql.exe -S myazuresqldb.database.windows.net -U somebody -P secret -d MyDatabase -i C:\JunkM\Issue-2246-a.SQL 

 KeyInt41    Name41           TargetDateTime
 ----------- ---------------- -----------------------

 KeyInt42    Name42
 ----------- ----------------

 KeyInt41    TargetDateTime          Name41           Name42
 ----------- ----------------------- ---------------- ----------------


[C:\JunkM\]
>>
****/

See Also

SET Statements (Transact-SQL)