Error 156

Severity Level 15

Message Text

Incorrect syntax near the keyword '%.*ls'.

Explanation

This error indicates that the syntax of a Transact-SQL statement is incorrect and that the syntax error was detected near the keyword specified in the error message. The most frequent causes for syntax errors are misspellings of Transact-SQL keywords or operators, and specifying the syntax of a Transact-SQL statement in the wrong order.

One of the more complicated causes for this error may be a compatibility level mismatch for the current database. If the current database has a compatibility level other than 70, SQL Server will not recognize any of the keywords that a database with a compatibility level of 70 would recognize.

Action

First, check the Transact-SQL statement syntax near the keyword specified in the error message. Because Transact-SQL language syntax can be very complex, Microsoft® SQL Server™ may report the syntax error later in the Transact-SQL statement syntax than it actually occurred. Second, reexamine the entire Transact-SQL statement that generated the error. Verify the syntax order of the statement.

Ensure that the database does not have a compatibility level of 65 and has a compatibility level of 70.

See Also