How do I view the definition of a UDF in SSMS?

Question

I was given a user created function in SSMS that executes some SQL statements and I am trying identify what it's running specifically. How can I do that? Using the console in SSMS ?

Answer 1

If you have the correct permissions (possibly a big "IF" depending on your environment), you can access user defined functions the same way you would access, for instance, stored procedures.

Under the database name, expand the Programmability folder, then expand the Functions folder. If you know whether it's a Table-valued Function or a Scalar-valued Function, look in the appropriate folder. If you're not sure, you'll have to hunt around for it.

Once you find the function, right click on the function name. In the dialogue box that opens, select Script Function as -> CREATE to -> New Query Editor Window . This will open a query window with the text of the function in it.

I always use the CREATE to option. You can get there faster by clicking on Modify in the initial dialogue, but the script that gets generated there is an ALTER FUNCTION statement, where you could accidentally change the code. Using the CREATE to option opens a CREATE FUNCTION statement, which, if you accidentally run it, will throw an error because the function already exists, and you won't have done any harm.