[tsql] How do I drop a function if it already exists?

I know this must be simple, but how do I preface the creation of a function with a check to see if it already exists? If it exists, I want to drop and re-create it.

This works for any object, not just functions:

IF OBJECT_ID('YourObjectName') IS NOT NULL 

then just add your flavor of object, as in:

IF OBJECT_ID('YourFunction') IS NOT NULL
   DROP FUNCTION YourFunction

IF EXISTS 
(SELECT * FROM sys.objects 
WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'functionName') 
AND type in (N'FN', N'IF', N'TF', N'FS', N'FT'))

DROP FUNCTION functionName
GO

I usually shy away from queries from sys* type tables, vendors tend to change these between releases, major or otherwise. What I have always done is to issue the DROP FUNCTION <name> statement and not worry about any SQL error that might come back. I consider that standard procedure in the DBA realm.

You have two options to drop and recreate the procedure in SQL Server 2016.

Starting from SQL Server 2016 - use IF EXISTS

DROP FUNCTION [ IF EXISTS ] { [ schema_name. ] function_name } [ ,...n ]   [;]

Starting from SQL Server 2016 SP1 - use OR ALTER

CREATE [ OR ALTER ] FUNCTION [ schema_name. ] function_name   

If you want to use the SQL ISO standard INFORMATION_SCHEMA and not the SQL Server-specific sysobjects, you can do this:

IF EXISTS (
    SELECT ROUTINE_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES WHERE ROUTINE_NAME = N'FunctionName'
)
   DROP FUNCTION [dbo].[FunctionName]
GO

if object_id('FUNCTION_NAME') is not NULL
   DROP FUNCTION <name>

You can also look the name up in sysobjects

IF EXISTS (SELECT * 
       FROM   sysobjects 
           WHERE name='<function name>' and xtype='FN'

Actually, if the function could be a table function, you need to use

xtype in ('FN','TF')

Here's my take on this:

if(object_id(N'[dbo].[fn_Nth_Pos]', N'FN')) is not null
    drop function [dbo].[fn_Nth_Pos];
GO
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fn_Nth_Pos]
(
    @find char, --char to find
    @search varchar(max), --string to process   
    @nth int --occurrence   
)
RETURNS int
AS
BEGIN
    declare @pos int --position of nth occurrence
    --init
    set @pos = 0

    while(@nth > 0)
    begin       
        set @pos = charindex(@find,@search,@pos+1)
        set @nth = @nth - 1
    end 

    return @pos
END
GO

--EXAMPLE
declare @files table(name varchar(max));

insert into @files(name) values('abc_1_2_3_4.gif');
insert into @files(name) values('zzz_12_3_3_45.gif');

select
    f.name,
    dbo.fn_Nth_Pos('_', f.name, 1) as [1st],
    dbo.fn_Nth_Pos('_', f.name, 2) as [2nd],
    dbo.fn_Nth_Pos('_', f.name, 3) as [3rd],
    dbo.fn_Nth_Pos('_', f.name, 4) as [4th]
from 
    @files f;

From SQL Server 2016 CTP3 you can use new DIE statements instead of big IF wrappers

Syntax :

DROP FUNCTION [ IF EXISTS ] { [ schema_name. ] function_name } [ ,...n ]

Query:

DROP Function IF EXISTS udf_name

More info here

IF EXISTS
      (SELECT * 
      FROM schema.sys.objects
      WHERE name = 'func_name')
    DROP FUNCTION [dbo].[func_name]
GO