SQL | Scalar functions exercise | Create simple function to show month name

This exercise is provided to allow potential course delegates to choose the correct Wise Owl Microsoft training course, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any format without the prior written consent of Wise Owl.

You can learn how to do this exercise if you attend one of more of the courses listed below!

Software ==> SQL  (198 exercises)
Version ==> Any version of SQL Server
Topic ==> Scalar functions  (6 exercises)
Level ==> Average difficulty
Classroom ==> Fast-track SQL  /  Advanced SQL
Online ==> Fast-track SQL  /  Advanced SQL
Before you can do this exercise, you'll need to download and unzip this file (if you have any problems doing this, click here for help). Once you've done this:
  1. Go into SQL Server Management Studio;
  2. Open the SQL file you've just unzipped (you can press CTRL + O to do this); then
  3. Execute this script.

This will generate the database that you'll need to use in order to do this exercise (note that the database and script are only to be used for exercises published on this website, and may not be reused or distributed in any form without the prior written permission of Wise Owl).

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Strangely there is no function that can return the name of a month when given a number 1 to 12. Luckily for you that is exactly what we will do (the rest of this exercise explains how!).

Function Month Name

The function you make will only produce one month name. When it's working properly try looping through number 1 to 12.

 

The layout for creating a function is very close to that for a stored procedure with a parameter, but with an extra part to specify the data type returned:

CREATE FUNCTION FunctionName

(@Para1 Datatype)

RETURNS Datatype

AS

BEGIN

RETURN

--The calculation goes here

END

To turn a month number into a month name we need to recreate a DATE to do that use the following code.

Function Month Name

There are any number of ways to return the month name - feel free to use a different one.

Test that your function is working by passing in several month numbers separately.

 Optionally save this as Month Name function.sql and close it down.

You can unzip this file to see the answers to this exercise, although please remember this is for your personal use only.
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