Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

Using AFTER Triggers

An AFTER trigger is the original mechanism that SQL Server created to provide an automated response to data modifications. Prior to the release of SQL Server 2000, the AFTER trigger was the only type of trigger, and the word AFTER was rarely used in its name. Any trigger written for prior versions of SQL Server or documentation referring to these triggers is for AFTER triggers.

SQL Server 2000 introduced a new type of trigger called an INSTEAD OF trigger. This trigger is discussed later in the section titled “INSTEAD OF Triggers.” The introduction of that new trigger and inclusion of the word AFTER in the name of the old trigger have helped accentuate the behavior of the AFTER trigger: The AFTER trigger executes after a data ...