FIX: "Incorrect Syntax near the Keyword 'by' " Error Message with Column Names of "C", "CA" or "CAS"

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q273813

SYMPTOMS

If a table has been created in SQL Server that contains column names of "C", "CA" or "CAS", and if a statement is prepared that uses parameters against these columns, attempting to call the SQLDescribeParam function for these parameters generates the following error message:

42000 [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'by'.

This error message occurs when you use SQL Server ODBC driver version 3.70.0820 (Microsoft Data Access Components [MDAC] 2.5, Microsoft Windows 2000) and later. This error also occurs in the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 ODBC driver, version 2000.080.0194.00.

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CAUSE

In the call to SQLDescribeParam, a SQL statement is being constructed by the driver to retrieve the parameter metadata. The driver checks to see if a CASE function is included in this statement, and is incorrectly comparing the "C", "CA" and "CAS" column names against the CASE keyword. The comparison returns True, and the driver appends a GROUP BY clause on the end of the statement.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Data Access Components 2.6. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

300635 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300635/EN-US/ ) INFO: How to Obtain the Latest MDAC 2.6 Service Pack

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Hotfix

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Microsoft SQL Server 7.0

   Date         Version     Size             File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   9/08/2000    3.70.9.0    524,560 bytes    Sqlsrv32.dll
   9/08/2000    3.70.9.0     24,848 bytes    Odbcbcp.dll

Microsoft SQL Server 2000

   Date          Version          Size             File name
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   09/11/2000    2000.80.203.0    471,119 bytes    Sqlsrv32.dll	
   09/11/2000    2000.80.203.0     90,112 bytes    Sqlsrv32.rll		
   09/11/2000    2000.80.203.0     28,742 bytes    Odbcbcp.dll

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WORKAROUND

To work around this problem:

If possible, do not include the names of the columns in the SQL statement. For example, instead of using syntax like:
Insert into CATest (CA) values (?)
use the following:
Insert into CATest values (?, ?, ...)
-or-
Concatenate the parameters directly into the SQL statement instead of using parameter markers. For example, use the following syntax:
Insert into CATest (CA) values ('abc')

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

This problem was corrected in Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.5 Service Pack 2, MDAC 2.6 Service Pack 1, and MDAC 2.7.

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MORE INFORMATION

This error occurs primarily when you construct INSERT statements, and when the column names of "C", "CA" or "CAS" are included in the field list. The error message does not occur if the SQL statement does not contain a field list.

An ODBC trace or a SQL Profiler trace shows that the driver's internal SELECT statement has been incorrectly formed as:

Select CA from CATestgroup by

Because the SELECT statement is incorrectly formed, the error message occurs when the statement is sent to the server for processing.

This fix is available for the Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 SP2 ODBC driver, and the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 ODBC driver. NOTE: Please use the files in SQL70_ColName_Fix.exe for SQL Server 7.0 and use the files in SQL2000_ColName_Fix.exe for SQL Server 2000.

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