[sql-server] T-SQL query to show table definition?

What is a query that will show me the full definition, including indexes and keys for a SQL Server table? I want a pure query - and know that SQL Studio can give this to me, but I am often on "wild" computers that have only the most bare-bones apps and I have no rights to install studio. But SQLCMD is always an option.

UPDATE: I have tried sp_help, but is just yields one record which shows Name, Owner, Type and Created_Datetime. Is there something else I am missing with sp_help?

Here is what I call:

sp_help airports

Note that I really do want the DDL that defines the table.

Another way is to execute sp_columns procedure.

EXEC sys.sp_columns @TABLE_NAME = 'YourTableName'

The easiest and quickest way I can think of would be to use sp_help

sp_help 'TableName'

A variation of @Anthony Faull's answer for those using LINQPad:

new Server(new ServerConnection(this.Connection.DataSource))
    .Databases[this.Connection.Database]
    .Tables["<table>", "dbo"]
    ?.Script(new ScriptingOptions {
        SchemaQualify = true,
        DriAll = true,
    })

You'll need to reference 2 assemblies:

• Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo.dll
• Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo.dll

And add namespace references as mentioned in Anthony's snippet.

Simply type the table name and select it and press ATL + F1

Say your table name is Customer then open a new query window, type and select the table name and press ALT + F1

It will show the complete definition of table.

Visit http://www.stormrage.com/SQLStuff/sp_GetDDL_Latest.txt.

You will find the code of sp_getddl procedure for SQL Server. The purpose of the procedure is script any table, temp table or object.

USAGE:

exec sp_GetDDL GMACT

or

exec sp_GetDDL 'bob.example'

or

exec sp_GetDDL '[schemaname].[tablename]'

or

exec sp_GetDDL #temp

I tested it on SQL Server 2012, and it does an excellent job.

I'm not the author of the procedure. Any improvement you make to it send to Lowell Izaguirre ([email protected]).

sp_help 'YourTableName'

Use this little Windows command-line app that gets the CREATE TABLE script (with constraints) for any table. I've written it in C#. Just compile it and carry it on a memory stick. Perhaps someone can port it to Powershell.

using System;
using System.Linq;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Common;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo;
namespace ViewSource
{
    public class ViewSource
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            if (args.Length != 6)
            {
                Console.Error.WriteLine("Syntax: ViewSource.exe <server>" +
                     " <user> <password> <database> <schema> <table>");
            }

            Script(args[0], args[1], args[2], args[3], args[4], args[5]);
        }
        private static void Script(string server, string user,
            string password, string database, string schema, string table)
        {
            new Server(new ServerConnection(server, user, password))
                .Databases[database]
                .Tables[table, schema]
                .Script(new ScriptingOptions { SchemaQualify = true,
                                               DriAll = true })
                .Cast<string>()
                .Select(s => s + "\n" + "GO")
                .ToList()
                .ForEach(Console.WriteLine);
        }
    }
}

Since SQL 2012 you can run the following statement:

Exec sp_describe_first_result_set @tsql= N'Select * from <yourtable>'

If you enter a complex select statement (joins, subselects, etc), it will give you the definition of the result set. This is very handy, if you need to create a new table (or temp table) and you don't want to check every single field definition manually.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-describe-first-result-set-transact-sql

Have you tried sp_help?

sp_help 'TableName'

SELECT ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE, CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH
       , IS_NULLABLE
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'EMPLOYEES'

This will return columns, datatypes, and indexes defined on the table:

--List all tables in DB
select * from sysobjects where xtype = 'U'

--Table Definition
sp_help TableName

This will return triggers defined on the table:

--Triggers in SQL Table
select * from sys.triggers where parent_id = object_id(N'SQLTableName') 

Try the sp_help stored procedure.

sp_help <>

I know it's an old question, but exactly what I was looking for. Because I want to batch script some tables, I rewrote the C# code from Anthony Faull for PowerShell.

This one is uses Integrated Security:

Import-Module sqlps

$serverInstance = "<server>"
$database = "<database>"
$table = "<table>"
$schema = "<schema>"

$options = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ScriptingOptions
$options.DriAll = $true
$options.SchemaQualify = $true

$connection = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Common.ServerConnection `
    -ArgumentList $serverInstance
$server = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server `
    -ArgumentList $connection

$server.Databases.Item($database).Tables.Item($table, $schema).Script($options) `
    | ForEach-Object -Process { $_ + "`nGO"}

And here with username and password:

Import-Module sqlps

$serverInstance = "<server>"
$user = "<user>"
$password = "<pasword>"
$database = "<database>"
$table = "<table>"
$schema = "<schema>"

$options = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ScriptingOptions
$options.DriAll = $true
$options.SchemaQualify = $true

$connection = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Common.ServerConnection `
    -ArgumentList $serverInstance
$connection.LoginSecure = $false
$connection.Login = $user
$connection.Password = $password
$server = New-Object -TypeName Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server `
    -ArgumentList $connection

$server.Databases.Item($database).Tables.Item($table, $schema).Script($options) `
    | ForEach-Object -Process { $_ + "`nGO"}

As an addition to Barry's answer. The sp_help can also be used by itself to iterate all of the objects in a particular database. You also have sp_helptext for your arsenal, which scripts out programmatic elements, like stored procedures.