Are BEGIN / END keywords required in a stored procedure?

Question

Possible Duplicate:
When do I need to use Begin / End Blocks and the Go keyword in SQL Server?

Example:

CREATE PROCEDURE DoSomething
AS
BEGIN
    SET NOCOUNT ON;

    -- Insert lots of statements in here, including other stored procedures.
END

Do you need the BEGIN and END? Does it make ANY difference if you have them or not?

Solution 1

They are optional.

From MSDN - CREATE PROCEDURE:

From the definition of the command -

AS { [ BEGIN ] sql_statement [;] [ ...n ] [ END ] }

And later on in the page:

{ [ BEGIN ] sql_statement [;] [ ...n ] [ END ] }

One or more Transact-SQL statements comprising the body of the procedure. You can use the optional BEGIN and END keywords to enclose the statements.

Solution 2

As indicated in the CREATE PROCEDURE documentation, they are optional.

{ [ BEGIN ] sql_statement [;] [ ...n ] [ END ] }

One or more Transact-SQL statements comprising the body of the procedure. You can use the optional [emphasis added] BEGIN and END keywords to enclose the statements. For information, see the Best Practices, General Remarks, and Limitations and Restrictions sections that follow.

Personally, I always include them, but that's just me.