SQL Server Difference between @@IDENTITY, SCOPE_IDENTITY () and IDENT_CURRENT
@@IDENTITY
It will return last or newly inserted record id of any table in current session but it’s not limited to current scope. In current session if any trigger or functions inserted record in any table that it will return that latest inserted record id regardless of table. We need to use this property whenever we don’t have any other functions or triggers that run automatically.
Syntax
SELECT @@IDENTITY
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SCOPE_IDENTITY()
This property will return last or newly inserted record id of table in current session or connection and it’s limited to current scope that means it will return id of newly inserted record in current session / connection stored procedure or query executed by you in current scope even we have any other functions or triggers that run automatically. Its better we can go with property whenever we need to get last or newly inserted record id in table.
Syntax
SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY()
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IDENT_CURRENT
This property will return last or newly inserted record id of specified table. It’s not limited to any session or scope it’s limited to mentioned table so it will return last inserted record id of specified table.
Syntax
SELECT IDENT_CURRENT(table_name)
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Finally we can say SCOPE_IDENTITY properties is best to get newly inserted record id from executed stored procedure or query when compared with other properties
Example
CREATE TABLE SAMPLE1 (Id INT IDENTITY)
CREATE TABLE SAMPLE2 (Id INT IDENTITY(100,1))
-- Trigger to execute while inserting data into SAMPLE1 table
GO
CREATE TRIGGER TRGINSERT ON SAMPLE1 FOR INSERT
AS
BEGIN
INSERT SAMPLE2 DEFAULT VALUES
END
GO
SELECT * FROM SAMPLE1 -- It will return empty value
SELECT * FROM SAMPLE2 -- It will return empty value
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When we execute above statements we will get output like as shown below
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Now we will insert default values in “SAMPLE1” table by executing following query and check values of @@identity, scope_identity() and ident_current(‘tablenae’)
INSERT SAMPLE1 DEFAULT VALUES
SELECT @@IDENTITY -- It returns value 100 this was inserted by trigger
SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY() -- It returns value 1 this was inserted by insert query in SAMPLE1
SELECT IDENT_CURRENT('SAMPLE2') -- It returns value inserted in SAMPLE2 table
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Our output will be like as shown below
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