# DECLARE CONDITION

## Syntax

```sql
DECLARE condition_name CONDITION FOR condition_value

condition_value:
    SQLSTATE [VALUE] sqlstate_value
  | mysql_error_code
```

## Description

The `DECLARE ... CONDITION` statement defines a named error condition. It specifies a condition that needs specific handling and associates a name with that condition. Later, the name can be used in a [DECLARE ... HANDLER](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/declare-handler), [SIGNAL](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/signal) or [RESIGNAL](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/resignal) statement (as long as the statement is located in the same [BEGIN ... END](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/begin-end) block).

Conditions must be declared after [local variables](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/declare-variable), but before [CURSORs](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/programmatic-compound-statements-cursors) and [HANDLERs](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/declare-handler).

A condition\_value for `DECLARE ... CONDITION` can be an [SQLSTATE](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/programmatic-compound-statements/programmatic-compound-statements-diagnostics/sqlstate) value (a 5-character string literal) or a MySQL error code (a number). You should not use `SQLSTATE` value '00000' or MySQL error code 0, because those indicate success rather than an error condition. If you try, or if you specify an invalid `SQLSTATE` value, an error like this is produced:

```sql
ERROR 1407 (42000): Bad SQLSTATE: '00000'
```

For a list of `SQLSTATE` values and MariaDB error codes, see [MariaDB Error Codes](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/error-codes/mariadb-error-code-reference).

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

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