Using select into with IDENTITY Columns

There are special rules for using the select into command with tables containing IDENTITY columns.

• Select an IDENTITY Column into a New Table
  To select an existing IDENTITY column into a new table, include the column name (or the syb_identity keyword) in the select statement’s column_list.
• Select the IDENTITY Column More Than Once
  A table cannot have more than one IDENTITY column. If an IDENTITY column is selected more than once, it is defined as NOT NULL in the new table. It does not inherit the IDENTITY property.
• Add a New IDENTITY Column with select into
  To define a new IDENTITY column in a select into statement, add the column definition before the into clause.
• Define a Column for Which the Value Must Be Computed
  IDENTITY column values are generated by SAP ASE. New columns that are based on IDENTITY columns, and for which the values must be computed rather than generated, cannot inherit the IDENTITY property.
• IDENTITY Columns Selected into Tables with Unions or Joins
  The value of the IDENTITY column uniquely identifies each row in a table. However, if a table’s select statement contains a union or join, individual rows can appear multiple times in the result set.