INF: Using FOR BROWSE on a View in SQL Server

• Microsoft SQL Server Programmer's Toolkit, version 4.2

SUMMARY

To use the FOR BROWSE clause properly on a view, the original base table(s) must have a unique index and a timestamp field. The timestamp field must be part of the original create statement for the table(s) involved.

MORE INFORMATION

There are two ways to invoke the FOR BROWSE clause when using views:

• Have the FOR BROWSE clause attached to the creation statement of the view, and then select the information from the view.

  The following SQL statements illustrate this method:

        CREATE VIEW booview1 AS
        SELECT * FROM boo
        FOR BROWSE
  

        SELECT * FROM booview1
  

  -or-

• Create the view normally without the FOR BROWSE clause. This approach is demonstrated in the following statement:

        CREATE VIEW booview2 AS
        SELECT * FROM boo
  

  In this case, the SELECT statement will contain the FOR BROWSE statement. For example:

        SELECT * FROM booview2
        FOR BROWSE
  

  All updates must then be made on the base table, not the view:

        SELECT * FROM booview2 FOR BROWSE
        ...
        UPDATE boo SET name="smith" WHERE id=10