SET FMTONLY#
Returns only result set metadata to the client and does not access the underlying data sources, so it is a
cheap way to discover the shape of a query’s result without running it. Metadata-discovery clients (such as
SQL Server Management Studio, sqlcmd, and Microsoft Data API Builder) use it to probe result-set schemas.
Syntax#
SET FMTONLY { ON | OFF } [;]
Remarks#
When ON, a SELECT returns each result set’s column metadata followed by a completion with zero rows;
no rows are produced and no source query is executed. When OFF (the default), statements run normally.
Permissions#
Requires membership in the public role.