The RAISERROR statement is malformed, causing SQL Server to return “Incorrect syntax near 'RAISERROR'.”
SQL Server “Incorrect syntax near 'RAISERROR'” means the RAISERROR statement is written with outdated or misplaced arguments. Rewrite it as RAISERROR(N'Message',16,1); or replace it with THROW to clear the error.
Msg 102, Level 15, State 1, Line 4 Incorrect syntax near 'RAISERROR'.
SQL Server throws “Incorrect syntax near 'RAISERROR'” when the RAISERROR statement violates modern T-SQL grammar—missing commas, wrong argument order, or deprecated options.
Because the parser fails at compilation time, the batch halts, transactions roll back, and deployments break until the syntax is corrected.
Incorrect argument count is the top trigger; RAISERROR needs message, severity, and state separated by commas.
Options such as WITH LOG or NOWAIT placed inside, not after, the parentheses also break parsing.
Using string messages without an N prefix causes implicit conversions that read as syntax faults on SQL Server 2012+.
Passing substitution parameters without matching % specifiers or calling error numbers below 50000 inside THROW-only code paths results in rejection.
Rewrite the statement in its canonical form: RAISERROR (N'Message', 16, 1); including the semicolon terminator.
Store repeatable messages with sp_addmessage, then call RAISERROR (50001, 16, 1); for cleaner code and localization.
Append options after the closing parenthesis: RAISERROR (N'Flush', 0, 1) WITH NOWAIT;
For new development, swap in THROW 50001, N'Message', 1; to remove argument complexity.
Stored procedure scripts often omit the final semicolon—add it to pass strict ANSI checks.
Inside WHILE loops, developers place NOWAIT wrongly; move NOWAIT after the parentheses to stream live progress.
TRY…CATCH blocks mixing RAISERROR and THROW lose original error data; use THROW inside CATCH for fidelity.
Lint code in Galaxy’s SQL editor; it flags deprecated RAISERROR syntax instantly and suggests THROW replacements.
Adopt THROW for new modules and confine RAISERROR to legacy maintenance tasks.
Keep custom messages in sys.messages to avoid copy-paste string errors that often lead to malformed statements.
Terminate every T-SQL statement with a semicolon and test under SET XACT_ABORT ON to catch failures early.
Error 50000: “The THROW statement requires a parameter” surfaces when THROW syntax is incomplete—supply error number, message, and state.
Error 15100: “Only members of the sysadmin role can add messages” occurs when sp_addmessage lacks privilege—execute as sysadmin or request DBA help.
Error 102 on other keywords signals general syntax faults; run code through Galaxy’s parser to reveal misplaced commas or missing END keywords.
Developers often forget the comma that separates the severity and state parameters, causing the parser to fail.
Older WITH options placed inside the parentheses are no longer accepted in modern SQL Server versions, triggering a syntax error.
Omitting the N prefix on string messages causes implicit conversions; SQL Server sometimes surfaces this as an “Incorrect syntax” problem.
Since SQL Server 2012, some scripts run with PARSEONLY ON that requires semicolons; missing terminators break RAISERROR lines.
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Yes, RAISERROR remains supported for backward compatibility, but Microsoft recommends THROW for new development.
Use 11–16 for user errors. Severities 19–25 require sysadmin privileges and can terminate connections.
While older versions allowed omission, SQL Server 2012+ enforces ANSI terminators when certain flags are enabled, so always add it.
Galaxy’s real-time parser underlines malformed RAISERROR statements, suggests THROW replacements, and lets you test scripts instantly.
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