Why use Select Top 100 Percent?

Question

I understand that prior to SQL Server 2005, you could \"trick\" SQL Server to allow use of an order by in a view definition, by also include TOP 100 PERCENT

Answer 1

The error says it all...

Msg 1033, Level 15, State 1, Procedure TestView, Line 5 The ORDER BY clause is invalid in views, inline functions, derived tables, subqueries, and common table expressions, unless TOP, OFFSET or FOR XML is also specified.

Don't use TOP 100 PERCENT, use TOP n, where N is a number

The TOP 100 PERCENT (for reasons I don't know) is ignored by SQL Server VIEW (post 2012 versions), but I think MS kept it for syntax reasons. TOP n is better and will work inside a view and sort it the way you want when a view is used initially, but be careful.