I couldn’t find a similar post discussing the insertion of newline characters in SQL Server text fields. I share my resolution for anyone interested in applying this technique.
I have found that the CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) method is the most reliable approach when you need to insert a newline in SQL Server strings. This combination produces a carriage return and line feed which effectively creates a new line in most output scenarios. It works seamlessly for both VARCHAR and NVARCHAR data types. Consistently using this technique, I have been able to format reports and output text in a nicely organized way, whether I’m writing scripts for business reporting or debugging code, making it a dependable solution for newline insertion.
i found using char(10) works when you only need a simple break. sometimes combining char(13) and char(10) is overkill for output displays. give char(10) a try in your queries and see if it fits your needs
hey ppl, i’ve been playing with directly embedding newline sequences in my query strings too, but noticed a few quirks in different output formats. did u ever try mixing in some literal line breaks instead of char codes? curious how that worked for u.
In my experience, another reliable method is to embed the newline directly in the string literal when constructing your SQL, provided your tools and environment support it. In SQL Server Management Studio, for example, you can insert an actual line break in the script to represent a newline. However, caution is necessary as this may lead to inconsistent behavior across client applications or services that interpret string literals differently when transferring data. Testing the output across all intended usage scenarios is advisable.