why i am getting error?

Gagan Sharma

9y1k

In Sql Server when i run query :

Select Case when 5>2 then 1

else 2 end

its working perfectly, But when i run the below query its showing error ?

Query : Select 5 > 2

Output:

Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 17

Incorrect syntax near '>'.

Why error ? instead of displaying True or false or 1 or 2? on comparison .

4 Replies

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Nilesh Shah9y ago
Accepted answer
@Gagan, to answer your question
"My point is this when other arithmetic operations are directly working in T-Sql ex:
SELECT 5/2
SELECT 5%2
etc
Why comparison is not ?"

I will say:
the answer of arithmetic operators is some numeric value which can be returned in result, but the answer of comparison operation is boolean which can not be returned in result set, you have to interpret it using case statement in select or you have to use it in where clause.

For clarity, see the following link on MSDN. I have posted snip too.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/comparison-operators-transact-sql
Gagan Sharma9y ago
My point is this when other arithmetic operations are directly working in T-Sql ex:
SELECT 5/2
SELECT 5%2
etc
Why comparison is not ?
Nilesh Shah9y ago
Hi Gagan,

this is how T-SQL works.

Select 5 > 2 means you want to evaluate some condition, for that T-SQL has "case" statement which you already know.

that's why directly "Select 5 > 2" does not work.

Hope this helps!
Guest User9y ago
T-SQL just doesn't allow it. Unfortunately I lost the link with the explanation. Case and Iif work, but boolean expression will fail.