15 Best Tips To Optimizing SQL Stored Procedures [How To]

Stayed Informed – Best SQL Server Tutorials with Examples

1.      Try to use stored procedures instead of bulky queries.

2.      Try to avoid using temporary tables inside your stored procedures.

3.      Try to avoid using DDL statements inside your stored procedure.

4.      Try to use “schema name” with “object name”. 

For examples as,

n  SELECT * FROM [dbo].[Users] -- Preferred this method.

Instead of below

n  SELECT * FROM Users – Try to avoid this method.

n  --For calling stored procedure with name like,

n  EXEC [dbo].[uspGetUser] -- Preferred this method.

n  --Instead of

n  EXEC uspGetUser – Try to Avoid this method.

5.      Try to call stored procedures using their fully qualified name.

For examples as,

n  Use IF EXISTS (SELECT 1) instead of (SELECT *)

n  IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sysobjects WHERE name = 'Users' AND type = 'U')

6.      Try to use SQL Server “Profiler” to determine which stored procedures have been recompiled too often.

7.      Try to Include the SET NOCOUNT ON statement in your stored procedures to stop the message indicating the number of rows affected by SQL statement.

8.      Try to consider returning the integer value as a RETURN statement instead of returning an integer value as part of a RecordSet.

9.      The “sp_” prefix stands for System Procedure, and it should not be used as prefix for regular procedures.

Do not use the prefix “sp_” prefix in the stored procedure name, if you need to create a stored procedure to run in a database other than the master database.

n  Few examples could be,

                                                                                      i.      spInsertUser

                                                                                    ii.      uspInsertUser

                                                                                  iii.      usp_InsertUser

                                                                                  iv.      InsertUser

n  Application prefix_ operation prefix_ description of database objects involved.

n  Operation prefixes we use -

                                                                                      i.      “get” – Returns a RecordSet

                                                                                    ii.      “ins” – Inserts data

                                                                                  iii.      “upd” – Updates data

                                                                                  iv.      “del” – Deletes data

10. Try to use the “sp_executesql” stored procedure instead of the EXECUTE statement.

For example as,

n  DECLARE @Query VARCHAR(55)

n  DECLARE @Age INT

n  SET @Age = 32

n  SET @Query = 'SELECT ID,Name,Age,CellNo FROM [dbo].[Users] WHERE Age = ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(3),@Age)

n  EXEC (@Query)

11. Use the “sp_executesql” stored procedure instead of temporary stored procedures.

12. If you have a heavy stored procedure, you will need to break down into the several sub-procedures and call them from a controlling stored procedure.

13. Keep the Transaction as short as possible.

14. Try to use TRY-Catch for error handling.

For Example as,

BEGIN TRY

--TODO: Your T-SQL code.

END TRY

BEGIN CATCH

--TODO: Your error handling code.

END CATCH

Stayed Informed - Error Handling [TRY CATCH] with Example

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