Sql Server Triggers

What is a trigger?

A trigger is a special kind of a store procedure that executes in response to certain action on the table like insertion, deletion or updating of data. It is a database object which is bound to a table and is executed automatically. You can’t explicitly invoke triggers. The only way to do this is by performing the required action no the table that they are assigned to.

What are the different types of triggers?

There are three action query types that you use in SQL which are INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE. So, there are three types of triggers and hybrids that come from mixing and matching the events and timings that fire them.
Basically, triggers are classified into two main types:-
(i) After Triggers (For Triggers)
(ii) Instead Of Triggers

(i) After Triggers
These triggers run after an insert, update or delete on a table. They are not supported for views.
AFTER TRIGGERS can be classified further into three types as:
(a) AFTER INSERT Trigger.
(b) AFTER UPDATE Trigger.
(c) AFTER DELETE Trigger.
Example
CREATE TRIGGER trgAfterInsert ON [dbo].[Employee_Test]
FOR INSERT
AS
declare @empid int;
declare @empname varchar(100);
declare @empsal decimal(10,2);
declare @audit_action varchar(100);

select @empid=i.Emp_ID from inserted i;
select @empname=i.Emp_Name from inserted i;
select @empsal=i.Emp_Sal from inserted i;
set @audit_action='Inserted Record -- After Insert Trigger.';

insert into Employee_Test_Audit
(Emp_ID,Emp_Name,Emp_Sal,Audit_Action,Audit_Timestamp)
values(@empid,@empname,@empsal,@audit_action,getdate());

PRINT 'AFTER INSERT trigger fired.'
GO
(ii) Instead Of Triggers
These can be used as an interceptor for anything that anyonr tried to do on our table or view. If you define an Instead Of trigger on a table for the Delete operation, they try to delete rows, and they will not actually get deleted (unless you issue another delete instruction from within the trigger)
INSTEAD OF TRIGGERS can be classified further into three types as:-

(a) INSTEAD OF INSERT Trigger.
(b) INSTEAD OF UPDATE Trigger.
(c) INSTEAD OF DELETE Trigger
Example
CREATE TRIGGER trgInsteadOfDelete ON [dbo].[Employee_Test]
INSTEAD OF DELETE
AS
declare @emp_id int;
declare @emp_name varchar(100);
declare @emp_sal int;

select @emp_id=d.Emp_ID from deleted d;
select @emp_name=d.Emp_Name from deleted d;
select @emp_sal=d.Emp_Sal from deleted d;

BEGIN
if(@emp_sal>1200)
begin
RAISERROR('Cannot delete where salary > 1200',16,1);
ROLLBACK;
end
else
begin
delete from Employee_Test where Emp_ID=@emp_id;
COMMIT;
insert into Employee_Test_Audit(Emp_ID,Emp_Name,Emp_Sal,Audit_Action,Audit_Timestamp)
values(@emp_id,@emp_name,@emp_sal,'Deleted -- Instead Of Delete Trigger.',getdate());
PRINT 'Record Deleted -- Instead Of Delete Trigger.'
end
END
GO

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Triggers?

Triggers are primarily intended for providing procedural integrity, however
they can be used for several purposes. There are no generalized "pros &
cons" per se with triggers, but in specific situations you might come across
performance problems with locking, serialization and concurrency issues.