SQL Server cursor

What is cursor in SQL Server?

• A Cursor is a database object that represents a result set and is used to manipulate data row by row.
• When a cursor is opened, it is positioned on a row and that row is available for processing.
• SQL Server supports three types of cursor namely Transact-SQL server cursor, API server cursor, and client cursor.
• Transact-SQL Server cursors use Transact-SQL statements and are declared using DECLARE CURSOR statement.
• Transact-SQL Server cursors can be used in Transact-SQL scripts, stored procedures, and triggers.
• Transact-SQL cursors are implemented on the server.
• You can fetch only one row at a time in Transact-SQL Server cursors.
• You can use FETCH statements with Transact-SQL cursors to retrieve rows from a cursor’s result set.
• API server cursors support the API cursor functions.
• API server cursors are implemented on the server.
• API server cursors support fetching blocks of rows with each fetch.
• A cursor fetches multiple rows at a time is called a block cursor.