SQL server 2012 SP_HELPTEXT extra lines issue

A better workaround (compared to use Results to text) in my opinion is to create an sp_helptext2 storedproc as explained here:

http://sql-javier-villegas.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-workaround-for-sphelptext-bug-in-ssms.html

Note: that solution has a bug leaving out the last line if there is no new line at the end. Corrected T-SQL:

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_helptext2] (@ProcName NVARCHAR(256))
AS
BEGIN
  DECLARE @PROC_TABLE TABLE (X1  NVARCHAR(MAX))

  DECLARE @Proc NVARCHAR(MAX)
  DECLARE @Procedure NVARCHAR(MAX)
  DECLARE @ProcLines TABLE (PLID INT IDENTITY(1,1), Line NVARCHAR(MAX))

  SELECT @Procedure = 'SELECT DEFINITION FROM '+db_name()+'.SYS.SQL_MODULES WHERE OBJECT_ID = OBJECT_ID('''+@ProcName+''')'

  insert into @PROC_TABLE (X1)
        exec  (@Procedure)

  SELECT @Proc=X1 from @PROC_TABLE

  WHILE CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc) > 0
  BEGIN
        INSERT @ProcLines
        SELECT LEFT(@Proc,CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc)-1)
        SELECT @Proc = SUBSTRING(@Proc,CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc)+2,LEN(@Proc))
  END
  --* inserts last line
  insert @ProcLines 
  select @Proc ;

  SELECT Line FROM @ProcLines ORDER BY PLID
END

The answer posted by Rufo still produces blank lines. A little change in the last line of code solved the issue for me. Here is the edited code:

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_helptext2] (@ProcName NVARCHAR(256))
AS
BEGIN
  DECLARE @PROC_TABLE TABLE (X1  NVARCHAR(MAX))

  DECLARE @Proc NVARCHAR(MAX)
  DECLARE @Procedure NVARCHAR(MAX)
  DECLARE @ProcLines TABLE (PLID INT IDENTITY(1,1), Line NVARCHAR(MAX))

  SELECT @Procedure = 'SELECT DEFINITION FROM '+db_name()+'.SYS.SQL_MODULES WHERE OBJECT_ID = OBJECT_ID('''+@ProcName+''')'

  insert into @PROC_TABLE (X1)
        exec  (@Procedure)

  SELECT @Proc=X1 from @PROC_TABLE

  WHILE CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc) > 0
  BEGIN
        INSERT @ProcLines
        SELECT LEFT(@Proc,CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc)-1)
        SELECT @Proc = SUBSTRING(@Proc,CHARINDEX(CHAR(13)+CHAR(10),@Proc)+2,LEN(@Proc))
  END
 --* inserts last line
 insert @ProcLines 
 select @Proc ;

 --edited here. (where Line<>'')
 SELECT Line FROM @ProcLines where Line<>'' ORDER BY PLID
END

Even though this removes the "original carriage returns", but this is way better to live with. I migrated by DB from SQL 2008 to SQL 2012 and all the stored procedures (more than 200) were returned with around 5 carriage returns after every line of code when using sp_helptext.

The above code helped me resolve it.

I can replicate this behaviour if I run sp_helptext with Results to grid set, then copy and paste the results from grid into a new query or any other text editor.

This seems to be a change in the behaviour of sp_helptext from previous editions, since this effect isn't displayed with standard grid result sets.

The simplest work-around will be to run sp_helptext with Results to text set (Query -> Results to > Results to text, shortcut CTRL + T.

You may need to increase the maximum number of characters per line in Results to text to get the output you expect - Tools > Options > Query Results > Results to text - set "maximum number of characters displayed in each column" to the maximum value of 8192.