Introduction

A view in SQL Server is a virtual table-like structure based on the result-set of an SQL statement. On the surface, a view is similar to a table with the signature structure of rows and columns. However, these rows and columns come from tables referenced in the query, which defines the View.

We use Views to focus on the concrete columns for the purposes they are created for. Views may also serve for security reasons. They filter out columns in the underlying tables which one does not want to make visible to certain users. Views filter columns like a WHERE clause filters rows.

Another reason for Views is simplicity. They aggregate columns from several different tables and create a general appearance that looks like a single table.

#sql server #sql functions #sql server views