What is purpose of N in SQL examples?

[Eric Bragas]

What is the purpose of the "N" preceding the parameter values in the
SQL examples?

Here is an example copied from Books Online, SP_ATTACH_DB:

EXEC sp_attach_db @dbname = N'pubs',
@filename1 = N'c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL\Data\pubs.mdf',
@filename2 = N'c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL\Data\pubs_log.ldf'

I've found that my sp_attach_db routine works without the "N", but I
need to know what it is that I don't know.

Thank you everybody for all your help.

[MGFoster]

Eric Bragas wrote:

What is the purpose of the "N" preceding the parameter values in the
SQL examples?

Here is an example copied from Books Online, SP_ATTACH_DB:

EXEC sp_attach_db @dbname = N'pubs',
@filename1 = N'c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL\Data\pubs.mdf',
@filename2 = N'c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL\Data\pubs_log.ldf'

I've found that my sp_attach_db routine works without the "N", but I
need to know what it is that I don't know.

N before a string indicates that the string is a Unicode string (2 bytes
per character).
--
MGFoster:::mgf00 <at> earthlink <decimal-point> net
Oakland, CA (USA)