SQL Server 2005: T-SQL to temporarily disable a trigger

Question

Is it possible to disable a trigger for a batch of commands and then enable it when the batch is done?

I\'m sure I could drop the trigger and re-add it but I was won

Answer 1

Another approach is to effectively disable the trigger without actually disabling it, using an additional state variable that is incorporated into the trigger.

create trigger [SomeSchema].[SomeTableIsEditableTrigger] ON [SomeSchema].[SomeTable]
for insert, update, delete 
as
declare
    @isTableTriggerEnabled bit;

exec usp_IsTableTriggerEnabled -- Have to use USP instead of UFN for access to #temp
    @pTriggerProcedureIdOpt  = @@procid,    
    @poIsTableTriggerEnabled = @isTableTriggerEnabled out;

if (@isTableTriggerEnabled = 0)
    return;

-- Rest of existing trigger
go

For the state variable one could read some type of lock control record in a table (best if limited to the context of the current session), use CONTEXT_INFO(), or use the presence of a particular temp table name (which is already session scope limited):

create proc [usp_IsTableTriggerEnabled]
    @pTriggerProcedureIdOpt  bigint          = null, -- Either provide this
    @pTableNameOpt           varchar(300)    = null, -- or this
    @poIsTableTriggerEnabled bit             = null out
begin

    set @poIsTableTriggerEnabled = 1; -- default return value (ensure not null)

    -- Allow a particular session to disable all triggers (since local 
    -- temp tables are session scope limited).
    --
    if (object_id('tempdb..#Common_DisableTableTriggers') is not null)
    begin
        set @poIsTableTriggerEnabled = 0;
        return;
    end

    -- Resolve table name if given trigger procedure id instead of table name.
    -- Google: "How to get the table name in the trigger definition"
    --
    set @pTableNameOpt = coalesce(
         @pTableNameOpt, 
         (select object_schema_name(parent_id) + '.' + object_name(parent_id) as tablename 
           from sys.triggers 
           where object_id = @pTriggerProcedureIdOpt)
    );

    -- Else decide based on logic involving @pTableNameOpt and possibly current session
end

Then to disable all triggers:

select 1 as A into #Common_DisableTableTriggers;
-- do work 
drop table #Common_DisableTableTriggers; -- or close connection

A potentially major downside is that the trigger is permanently slowed down depending on the complexity of accessing of the state variable.

Edit: Adding a reference to this amazingly similar 2008 post by Samuel Vanga.