What is the proper syntax

Question

What is the proper syntax

Igor Korot 56

Hi,

According to the documentation at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/create-table-transact-sql?view=sql-server-ver17, I can use the following syntax:

ALTER TABLE [draft].[dbo].[temp2] ADD PRIMARY KEY(id) WITH( FILLFACTOR = 20 | PAD_INDEX = ON | DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE);

However the compiler fails to build it and produce:

Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 1

Incorrect syntax near '|'.

and the red squiggly goes under the first pipe sign.

The different WITH options can be orred.

How do I fix it?

Thx.

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Answer 1

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The | characters in the documentation are placeholders meaning “choose one of these options,” not literal syntax. They must not be included in the T‑SQL statement.

Use a comma‑separated list of options inside WITH (...), for example:

ALTER TABLE [draft].[dbo].[temp2]
ADD CONSTRAINT PK_temp2 PRIMARY KEY (id)
WITH (
    FILLFACTOR = 20,
    PAD_INDEX = ON,
    DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE
);

Key points:

Do not use | in T‑SQL.
Separate multiple index options with commas.
Give the primary key constraint a name with CONSTRAINT <name> PRIMARY KEY (...) (recommended and consistent with the documented examples).

References:

ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL)

Igor Korot 56 Reputation points

2026-03-27T22:46:30.32+00:00

And if I don't give a name, it will be auto-generated, right?

Thx.
Dan Guzman 9,436 Reputation points

2026-03-28T21:18:04.85+00:00
And if I don't give a name, it will be auto-generated, right?

@Igor Korot ,yes you can omit the name to auto-generate but explicitly named constraints will facilitate subsequent changes if you need to drop or change the constraint later. Named example:

ALTER TABLE [draft].[dbo].[temp2] ADD CONSTRAINT PK_temp2 PRIMARY KEY(id) WITH( FILLFACTOR = 20, PAD_INDEX = ON, DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE);
Akhil Gajavelly 1,725 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-31T04:05:05.56+00:00

Hi @Igor Korot ,

Thanks to the @Dan Guzman for the helpful clarification.

@Igor Korot , Just checking if this worked for you. The issue should be resolved by replacing | with commas. Also, SQL Server will auto-generate the constraint name if not provided, but naming it explicitly is recommended. Let us know if you're still facing any issues.

Thanks,
Akhil.

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What is the proper syntax

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