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Description

This rule states that when writing a conditional statement in SQL Server, the condition should start on a new line. This helps to improve readability and make it easier to spot errors. For example, instead of writing:

IF (condition) THEN

It should be written as:

IF
(condition)
THEN

Key Benefits

• Improved readability: Conditional statements should start on new lines to improve readability and make the code easier to understand.
• Easier to debug: Starting conditionals on new lines makes it easier to debug code, as it allows for easier identification of the statement.
• Simpler to maintain: Starting conditionals on new lines makes it simpler to maintain code, as it is easier to add or remove conditions.

Non-compliant Code Example

DECLARE @Number int;  
SET @Number = 50;  
IF @Number > 100  PRINT 'The number is large.';   --Non compliant code (Conditionals should start on new lines)
ELSE   
   BEGIN  IF @Number < 10   --Non compliant code (Conditionals should start on new lines)
      PRINT 'The number is small.';  
   ELSE  
      PRINT 'The number is medium.';  
   END ;  
GO 

Compliant Code Example

DECLARE @Number int;  
SET @Number = 50;  
IF @Number > 100  --Compliant code (Conditional is starting in the new line)
    PRINT 'The number is large.';  
ELSE   
    BEGIN  
        IF @Number < 10   --Compliant code (Conditional is starting in the new line)
            PRINT 'The number is small.';  
        ELSE  
            PRINT 'The number is medium.';  
    END ;  
GO