Alter a SQL server function to accept new optional parameter

Solution 1:

From CREATE FUNCTION:

When a parameter of the function has a default value, the keyword DEFAULT must be specified when the function is called to retrieve the default value. This behavior is different from using parameters with default values in stored procedures in which omitting the parameter also implies the default value.

So you need to do:

SELECT dbo.fCalculateEstimateDate(647,DEFAULT)

Solution 2:

The way to keep SELECT dbo.fCalculateEstimateDate(647) call working is:

ALTER function [dbo].[fCalculateEstimateDate] (@vWorkOrderID numeric)
Returns varchar(100)  AS
   Declare @Result varchar(100)
   SELECT @Result = [dbo].[fCalculateEstimateDate_v2] (@vWorkOrderID,DEFAULT)
   Return @Result
Begin
End

CREATE function [dbo].[fCalculateEstimateDate_v2] (@vWorkOrderID numeric,@ToDate DateTime=null)
Returns varchar(100)  AS
Begin
  <Function Body>
End

Solution 3:

I have found the EXECUTE command as suggested here T-SQL - function with default parameters to work well. With this approach there is no 'DEFAULT' needed when calling the function, you just omit the parameter as you would with a stored procedure.