Introduction
In this blog, I will discuss the collate clause and also discuss how the expression type 'int' is invalid for collate clause error in the SQL server.
The collate clause is used for case sensitive and case insensitive searches in the columns of the SQL server.
There are two types of collate clause present:
- SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS for case sensitive.
- SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS for case insensitive.
If we apply a case sensitive clause to a column, then for example, ‘a’ and ‘A’, will be different. But in the case of case insensitive, irrespective of any character or string, it will work.
By default, the collate clause will take SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS (case insensitive).
To check whether a particular column is applied case sensitive or case insensitive, we can check under collation column, which is shown in below figure:
Now, let's create a table. Initially we will not apply any of the collate clauses.
The create table script is as shown below:
- CreateTableDetails
- (
- Idint,
- Namevarchar(10)
- )
In the above create table script, I didn’t apply any collate clause. Let’s check whether it applies default case insensitive clause or not and which is shown in the below figure:
Now, let’s change the collate clause from case insensitive to case sensitive in the name column.
The alter script is as shown below:
- alterTableDetails
- altercolumnNamevarchar(10)collateSQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS
And which is shown in the below figure:
But, now we want to apply either case sensitive or case insensitive collation to our id Column of data type int, whose alter Statement is as below:
- alterTableDetails
- altercolumnIdintcollateSQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS
When we run the above code, then "Expression type int is invalid for COLLATE clause". This error will generate because we cannot apply the collate clause to a column whose data type is int, shown in the below figure:
SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS or SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS collate clause only applies to those columns whose data type is char, varchar, nvarchar, and text.
But, if we apply to the collate clause to any other data type then it will give "Expression type int is invalid for COLLATE clause" error because case sensitive or case insensitive doesn’t apply to an int data type.
To resolve this above error we shouldn't apply any collate clause to int, float, decimal, etc.
FAQs
Collation (also called sort ordering) determines if a character string equals, precedes, or follows another string when the two strings are compared and sorted. Oracle Database collations order strings following rules for sorted text used in different languages.
What does COLLATE Latin1_General_CI_AS mean? ›
Latin1_General_CI_AS is a Windows collation and can use an index when comparing unicode and non unicode data, where SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS is a SQL collation and cannot do this.
Why do we use COLLATE database_default in SQL Server? ›
If you do not specify a collation, the column is assigned the default collation of the database. You can also use the database_default option in the COLLATE clause to specify that a column in a temporary table use the collation default of the current user database for the connection instead of tempdb.
How to add collation in SQL Server? ›
How to configure SQL server collation
- Show the database properties.
- Check the server collation value.
- Check the SQL collation value using an SQL query.
- Check the SQL collation values for all databases.
- Launch the Services manager from the search bar.
- Stop the SQL Server service to change the collation value.
The COLLATE function copies the string, but applies the new collation specification rather than the original specification to the copy. The string itself is unchanged; only the collation specifier associated with the string is changed.
What does it mean to COLLATE data? ›
: to collect, compare carefully in order to verify, and often to integrate or arrange in order. collated the data for publication.
When should I use COLLATE? ›
Collation is beneficial when you require multiple copies of a long document, such as reports, presentations, booklets, or instruction manuals. Collated documents ensure that each copy is a complete set and ready for distribution or binding.
What is the difference between SQL Latin1_General_CI_AS and SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS? ›
The SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS collation is a SQL collation and the rules around sorting data for unicode and non-unicode data are different. The Latin1_General_CI_AS collation is a Windows collation and the rules around sorting unicode and non-unicode data are the same.
What is the use of COLLATE option? ›
What is collating? Collating arranges printed documents in a specific order, assembling each set of pages in the correct sequence, rather than printing each page in a stack. Essentially, it prints multiple copies of documents in their sequential order, rather than mass printing page by page.
What is the purpose of collation in SQL? ›
A collation algorithm such as the Unicode collation algorithm defines an order through the process of comparing two given character strings and deciding which should come before the other. The collation is how SQL server decides on how to sort and compare text.
To change a Sql Server database collation, do the following:
- Connect to the Database Engine.
- From the Standard bar, click New Query.
- Copy and paste the following into the Query window and click Execute: ALTER DATABASE Licence SET RESTRICTED_USER; ALTER DATABASE Licence COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS;
The way to remove the collate statements is,
- Using the Bulk Editor, one can easily do a mass deletion of all collations values for the attributes.
- However, you also need to remove it from the database. Right-click on Databases in the Model Explorer and remove any text from the Collation Column for each database.
The collate clause is used for case sensitive and case insensitive searches in the columns of the SQL server. There are two types of collate clause present: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS for case sensitive. SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS for case insensitive.
How to get collation of all tables in SQL Server? ›
To view the collation setting of a database
In Object Explorer, connect to an instance of the Database Engine and on the toolbar, click New Query. In the query window, enter the following statement that uses the sys. databases system catalog view. SELECT name, collation_name FROM sys.
Can I change SQL Server collation after installation? ›
Unfortunately, the only good way to change the collation after the DB is installed is to rebuild the server from scratch or rebuild your system databases. You can't simply run an ALTER DATABASE statement to change it either.
Why do we use COLLATE in MySQL? ›
A collation is a set of rules that defines how to compare and sort character strings. Each collation in MySQL belongs to a single character set. Every character set has at least one collation, and most have two or more collations. A collation orders characters based on weights.
What is COLLATE in SQL W3schools? ›
The COLLATE statement in SQL is used to define or change the collation of a column in a database or for an expression.
Why do we use coalesce in SQL? ›
The SQL server's Coalesce function is used to handle the Null values. The null values are replaced with user-defined values during the expression evaluation process. This function evaluates arguments in a particular order from the provided arguments list and always returns the first non-null value.
