How Can I Determine SQL Server Case Sensitivity at the Server, Database, and Column Levels?

Understanding SQL Server Case Sensitivity

SQL Server's case sensitivity is determined at three levels: server, database, and column. This guide explains how to check the case sensitivity at each level.

Server-Level Collation

To check the server's default collation:

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('COLLATION');

Database-Level Collation

To determine the collation of a specific database (replace 'AdventureWorks' with your database name):

SELECT DATABASEPROPERTYEX('AdventureWorks', 'Collation') AS SQLCollation;

Column-Level Collation

To identify the collation of a column within a table (replace @table_name with your table name):

SELECT table_name, column_name, collation_name
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE table_name = @table_name;

Practical Application

Imagine a stored procedure comparing parameters @test and @TEST. The outcome depends on the case sensitivity settings. Here's the recommended approach:

1. Use SERVERPROPERTY('COLLATION') to check the server's collation.
2. If the server is case-sensitive, verify the column's collation matches for consistent case-sensitive comparisons.
3. For case-insensitive comparisons (or if the server is case-insensitive), utilize string functions like LOWER() to standardize casing before comparison. Alternatively, consider using case-insensitive comparison operators if your database supports them.

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