DF025: The FETCH statement is used without the INTO clause.

Last modified: May 28, 2025

The topic describes the DF025 T-SQL code analysis rule.

Category

BEST PRACTICE

Message

The FETCH statement is used without the INTO clause.

Description

For the FETCH statements, it is recommended to specify local variables to place the data from the columns of a fetch to.

Additional information

Omitting the INTO clause can result in data being fetched but not stored anywhere, leading to potential loss of data or incorrect results. Therefore, it’s important to always include the INTO clause in FETCH statements to ensure proper handling of fetched data and to avoid unexpected behavior in SQL queries.

Noncompliant code example

DECLARE cur CURSOR LOCAL FOR
SELECT CustomerID FROM dbo.Customer
FETCH NEXT FROM cur

Compliant solution

DECLARE cur CURSOR LOCAL FORWARD_ONLY FOR
SELECT CustomerID FROM dbo.Customer
OPEN cur
FETCH NEXT FROM cur INTO @CustomerId
DEALLOCATE cur