The SQL GOTO statement is used to alter the flow of a program. When the execution reaches the GOTO statement, it will jump unconditionally to the label specified in the goto statement.
SQL Goto Statement Syntax
The syntax of the SQL Server GOTO Statement is
--List of Statements GOTO label ........ ........ label: statements
The label specified after the goto statement is the location where we place the statements to execute.
SQL Goto Statement Example
This program will check whether the person is pass or fail using Goto Statement.
TIP: Unlike the Break and Continue Statement, Sql Server GOTO statement doesn’t require any If Statement to perform.
DECLARE @TotalMaarks INT SET @TotalMaarks = 49 IF @TotalMaarks >= 50 GOTO Pass IF @TotalMaarks < 50 GOTO Fail Pass: PRINT ' Congratulations ' PRINT ' You pass the Examination ' RETURN Fail: PRINT ' You Failed! ' PRINT ' Better Luck Next Time ' RETURN GO
OUTPUT 1
Let us replace the @TotalMarks value with 76, and we replaced the second If statement with ELSE block
IF @TotalMaarks >= 50 GOTO Pass ELSE GOTO Fail
ANALYSIS
In the above SQL Server code, Pass and Fail are the labels we used. First, we declared integer variable @Totalmarks and assigned value 49 to it
DECLARE @TotalMaarks INT SET @TotalMaarks = 49
In the next line, we used SQL IF ELSE to check whether @Totalmarks is greater than or equal to 50 or not.
IF @TotalMaarks >= 50
If the above condition is TRUE, then the Sql Server Goto statement inside the If block will take the execution to the Pass label, and execute the statements inside the Pass label
PRINT ' Congratulations ' PRINT ' You pass the Examination '<br>
When the condition is FALSE (Else block executed). It means, Goto statement inside the Else block will take the execution to the Fail label, and execute the statements inside the Fail label
PRINT ' You Failed! ' PRINT ' Better Luck Next Time '
NOTE: Although it supports the GOTO statement, it is always good practice to avoid using it or at least minimize the usage.