SQL Server: Select Top 0?

Question

We just came across this in an old production stored proc (there is a lot more going on in here, but this is in one leg of its logic). Why would someone ever select top 0 ro

Answer 1

Use this to create a temporary table where the collation of your DB and TEMPDB may differ.

SELECT TOP(0) column INTO #temp FROM [mytable]

Produces a temp table with same collation as my table. This then means

SELECT * FROM #temp T INNER JOIN [mytable] M ON M.column=T.column

Does not fail due to a collation error.