SQL Server raises this runtime error when a query attempts to divide a number by zero or a NULL coerced to zero.
“Divide by zero error encountered” appears when SQL Server evaluates an expression whose divisor is 0. Protect the division with CASE, NULLIF, or SET ARITHABORT/ANSI_WARNINGS OFF to avoid the zero divisor.
Divide by zero error encountered.
The engine halts execution because arithmetic division by zero is undefined. SQL Server surfaces this runtime error whenever the denominator of a / operator resolves to 0 during query evaluation.
The error aborts the current batch unless you wrap the statement in TRY…CATCH or disable ANSI_WARNINGS. Eliminating the zero divisor restores normal execution.
Expressions are computed per row after the logical WHERE, GROUP BY, and HAVING phases.
Any divisor that is 0, NULL converted to 0, or results from integer rounding to 0 will raise the error at runtime.
Uncaught, the error aborts stored procedures, ETL jobs, and application requests, causing data pipelines and APIs to fail. Fixing it ensures reliable analytics, prevents partial writes, and improves user experience.
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Yes, unless you wrap the code in TRY…CATCH or disable ANSI_WARNINGS, the statement and batch are aborted.
The filter changed which rows reached the SELECT list, exposing rows with divisor 0 that were previously excluded.
It suppresses the error but can mask data issues. Prefer NULLIF or CASE for deterministic handling.
Galaxy’s AI copilot reviews queries, flags potential zero divisors, and suggests NULLIF wrappers before execution, reducing runtime failures.
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