Did you know you can pass false and true to SQL Server bit parameters?

I noticed a stored procedure with a bit parameter and the default was false, I have never seen this before in SQL Server. You can do this in a language like c# but not in SQL Server right?

Let's take a look

Create this proc

create procedure prTest
@BitTrue bit = true,
@BitFalse bit = False,
@BitNotFalse bit = -2
as
Select @BitTrue as BitTrue, @BitFalse as BitFalse,
@BitNotFalse as BitNotFalse
GO

Now execute the sored procedure

EXEC prTest

BitTrue BitFalse BitNotFalse
1 0 1


As you can see true gets converted to 1, false gets converted to 0 and any number that is not 0 will be converted to 1 as well

What happens when you pass in false for the parameter that had a default of true?

EXEC prTest @BitTrue = false

BitTrue BitFalse BitNotFalse
0 0 1



How about variables..can you use true and false with bit datatype variables?
Let's try it out

DECLARE @BitTrue bit 
SET @BitTrue = true

Msg 207, Level 16, State 1, Line 2
Invalid column name 'true'.

DECLARE @BitTrue bit 
SET @BitTrue = false

Msg 207, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Invalid column name 'false'.


As you can see you can  use true and false with parameters in a proc but not with variables.