Views: Limiting Access to Data

A view is a named select statement that is stored in a database as an object. It allows you to view a subset of rows or columns in one or more tables. You use the view by invoking its name in other Transact-SQL statements. You can use views to focus, simplify, and customize each user's perception of the tables in a particular database. Views also provide a security mechanism by allowing users access only to the data they require.

How views work

Advantages of views

View examples

Creating views

create view syntax

Using the select statement with create view

After creating a view

Validating a view's selection criteria using with check option

Retrieving data through views

View resolution

Redefining views

Renaming views

Altering or dropping underlying objects

Modifying data through views

Restrictions on updating views

Dropping views

Using views as security mechanisms

Getting information about views

Getting help on views with sp_help

Using sp_helptext to display view information

Using sp_depends to list dependent objects

Listing all views in a database


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