Views and Triggers in SQL Server - Microsoft SQL Server Tutorial Series Part 12

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Microsoft SQL Server Tutorial Series: Beginner to Expert

Part 12: Views and Triggers in SQL Server

Welcome back to our SQL Server tutorial series! In this session, we will explore two powerful database objects: Views and Triggers. These tools help you organize, simplify, and automate tasks in your SQL Server databases.

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In this tutorial, you will learn:

• What are Views in SQL Server and why use them
• How to create and manage Views
• What are Triggers and their types
• How to create Triggers to automate database actions
• Best practices for Views and Triggers

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👁️ What is a View in SQL Server?

A View is a virtual table based on the result set of a SQL query. It does not store data itself but displays data stored in one or more tables. Views help you simplify complex queries, enhance security, and present data in a meaningful way.

Think of a View as a saved query you can treat like a table.

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🛠️ Creating a Simple View

Let's create a View named ActiveStudentsView that shows only active students from our Students table:

CREATE VIEW ActiveStudentsView AS
SELECT StudentID, FirstName, LastName, BirthDate
FROM Students
WHERE IsActive = 1;
GO

Now, you can query this View like a table:

SELECT * FROM ActiveStudentsView;
GO

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🔄 Updating Data through Views

Simple Views allow updating underlying tables, but complex Views (joining multiple tables, aggregations, etc.) may not support updates.

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⚡ What is a Trigger?

A Trigger is a special kind of stored procedure that automatically runs in response to certain events on a table, such as INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE.

Triggers help enforce business rules, maintain audit trails, and automate processes.

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🔧 Types of Triggers in SQL Server

Trigger Type	Description
AFTER Trigger	Executes after the triggering SQL statement completes
INSTEAD OF Trigger	Executes instead of the triggering SQL statement (useful for Views)

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📝 Creating an AFTER INSERT Trigger

Suppose we want to log whenever a new student is added. First, create a log table:

CREATE TABLE StudentInsertLog (
    LogID INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
    StudentID INT,
    InsertedAt DATETIME DEFAULT GETDATE()
);
GO

Now, create the trigger on the Students table:

CREATE TRIGGER trgAfterStudentInsert
ON Students
AFTER INSERT
AS
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO StudentInsertLog (StudentID)
    SELECT StudentID FROM inserted;
END;
GO

Now, every time a student is inserted, an entry will be added to StudentInsertLog.

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⚠️ Best Practices for Views and Triggers

Area	Best Practice
Views	Keep Views simple and efficient; avoid heavy computations
Triggers	Use triggers sparingly; excessive triggers can impact performance
Documentation	Always document the purpose and logic of Views and Triggers

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🧾 Quick SQL Cheat Sheet

-- Create a View
CREATE VIEW [ViewName] AS
SELECT Column1, Column2 FROM TableName WHERE Condition;
GO

-- Create an AFTER INSERT Trigger
CREATE TRIGGER [TriggerName]
ON [TableName]
AFTER INSERT
AS
BEGIN
    -- Trigger Logic Here
END;
GO
  

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🌟 Summary

• Views are virtual tables that simplify and secure data access
• Triggers automate actions in response to data changes
• Use AFTER and INSTEAD OF triggers based on your needs
• Keep Views and Triggers optimized for performance

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🔗 What’s Next?

In the upcoming part, we will explore Transactions and Isolation Levels to understand how SQL Server manages data consistency and concurrency.

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Have questions or want to share your experiences with Views or Triggers? Drop a comment below! 🙌

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