#AcumaticaTnT CREATE OR ALTER Statement

I just learned about SQL syntax that apparently has been around since SQL Server 2016.

Previously, I would use this SQL code to create a VIEW:

DROP VIEW IF EXISTS dbo.MySQLSystemEvent
GO
CREATE VIEW dbo.MySQLSystemEvent AS
SELECT 2 AS CompanyID,ID,TenantName,[Date],[Level],Source,EventID,ScreenID,[User],Details,Properties
FROM SystemEvent

The reason for the first two lines is that I want to be able to run the same SQL Code whether the View already exists or not.

But there are two problems with it:

1. I can never remember the DROP VIEW IF EXISTS... part and always have to Google it.

2. The view gets a new Created date on it which I don't like. I'd like to know the date that the view was originally created.

Now, with my new discovery (that has existed for 8 year already apparently), I can write this instead:

CREATE OR ALTER VIEW dbo.MySQLSystemEvent AS
SELECT 2 AS CompanyID,ID,TenantName,[Date],[Level],Source,EventID,ScreenID,[User],Details,Properties
FROM SystemEvent

This is awesome! It solves both problems:

1. I can remember CREATE OR ALTER without having to Google it.

2. The Created date on the view doesn't change since an ALTER statement gets run if it already exists.

I love it!