How Can I Consistently Retrieve Table Names from a Specific Database Using SQL Across Different Server Types?

Cross-Database SQL Query for Retrieving Table Names

Building applications that interact with various database systems requires a consistent method for retrieving data. This article addresses the challenge of fetching table names from a specific database using SQL, ensuring compatibility across different server types. While the INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES view offers a seemingly universal approach, variations in schema handling across databases necessitate adjustments.

The naive approach of querying INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES might inadvertently return tables from all databases. To restrict the results to a single database, database-specific modifications are required.

SQL Server:

SELECT TABLE_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' AND TABLE_CATALOG = 'dbName'

Replace 'dbName' with the actual database name.

MySQL:

SELECT TABLE_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'dbName'

Again, substitute 'dbName' with your target database name.

Oracle:

Oracle's approach differs slightly; the DBA_TABLES view is typically used. The exact query might vary depending on privileges, but a common approach is:

SELECT table_name
FROM dba_tables
WHERE owner = 'dbName'

Here, 'dbName' represents the database owner or schema name. Note that appropriate privileges are needed to access DBA_TABLES.

By employing these database-specific adjustments, you can create robust applications capable of retrieving table names from a designated database regardless of the underlying database system. This ensures consistent functionality and simplifies database interaction across diverse environments.

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