Batch/procedure exceeds maximum length of %d characters throws with SQL server error code 123.
When you encounter the SQL Server error message "Batch/procedure exceeds maximum length of %d characters," it indicates that the batch or stored procedure you are trying to execute is too long. The maximum length for a batch or stored procedure in SQL Server is 65,536 characters.
Here are steps to resolve this issue:
1. Split the Batch or Procedure
Divide your large procedure into smaller, more manageable procedures. Then, call these smaller procedures from a main procedure.
Example
Original Large Procedure
CREATE PROCEDURE LargeProcedure
AS
BEGIN
-- Very long SQL logic
END
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE Part1
AS
BEGIN
-- Part 1 of the SQL logic
END
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE Part2
AS
BEGIN
-- Part 2 of the SQL logic
END
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE LargeProcedure
AS
BEGIN
EXEC Part1;
EXEC Part2;
END
GO
Use temporary tables to store intermediate results. This can help in breaking down complex queries.
Example
CREATE PROCEDURE LargeProcedure
AS
BEGIN
-- Part 1: Insert intermediate results into a temporary table
SELECT *
INTO #TempTable
FROM SomeLargeTable
WHERE SomeCondition;
-- Part 2: Process the data from the temporary table
SELECT *
FROM #TempTable
WHERE AnotherCondition;
-- Drop the temporary table
DROP TABLE #TempTable;
END
GO
Review the code to eliminate redundant or unnecessary parts, and ensure it is optimized.
4. Use Functions
If there are reusable parts of the logic, consider moving them to functions.
Example
CREATE FUNCTION dbo.MyFunction(@Param INT)
RETURNS INT
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @Result INT;
-- Some logic
RETURN @Result;
END
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE LargeProcedure
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @Value INT;
SET @Value = dbo.MyFunction(@SomeParam);
-- Use @Value in further logic
END
GO
For extremely complex queries, consider using dynamic SQL to construct parts of the query at runtime.
Example
CREATE PROCEDURE LargeProcedure
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX);
SET @SQL = N'SELECT * FROM SomeTable WHERE SomeCondition';
EXEC sp_executesql @SQL;
END
GO