How to Extract Table Metadata (Including Descriptions and Column Details) in SQL Server 2008?

How to Extract Table Meta-Data in SQL Server (2008)?

Retrieving detailed information about tables is essential for comprehensive database management. In SQL Server (2008), you can extract meta-data that includes table descriptions, field lists, and their corresponding data types.

To obtain this information, leveraging system stored procedures (sys sp) is necessary. Here's how you can achieve this:

SELECT      u.name + '.' + t.name AS [table],
            td.value AS [table_desc],
            c.name AS [column],
            cd.value AS [column_desc]
FROM        sysobjects t
INNER JOIN  sysusers u
    ON      u.uid = t.uid
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.extended_properties td
    ON      td.major_id = t.id
    AND     td.minor_id = 0
    AND     td.name = 'MS_Description'
INNER JOIN  syscolumns c
    ON      c.id = t.id
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.extended_properties cd
    ON      cd.major_id = c.id
    AND     cd.minor_id = c.colid
    AND     cd.name = 'MS_Description'
WHERE t.type = 'u'
ORDER BY    t.name, c.colorder

This query utilizes various system tables and extended properties to extract the desired meta-data. It effectively combines table descriptions from the 'sys.extended_properties' table with field names and data types from the 'syscolumns' table.

The result is a comprehensive dataset that provides a detailed overview of your tables' structures, including their descriptions, fields, and data types. This information can prove invaluable for understanding your database's layout, optimizing queries, and ensuring data integrity.

The above is the detailed content of How to Extract Table Metadata (Including Descriptions and Column Details) in SQL Server 2008?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!