How to find column names for all tables in all databases in SQL Server
Try this:
select
o.name,c.name
from sys.columns c
inner join sys.objects o on c.object_id=o.object_id
order by o.name,c.column_id
With resulting column names this would be:
select
o.name as [Table], c.name as [Column]
from sys.columns c
inner join sys.objects o on c.object_id=o.object_id
--where c.name = 'column you want to find'
order by o.name,c.name
Or for more detail:
SELECT
s.name as ColumnName
,sh.name+'.'+o.name AS ObjectName
,o.type_desc AS ObjectType
,CASE
WHEN t.name IN ('char','varchar') THEN t.name+'('+CASE WHEN s.max_length<0 then 'MAX' ELSE CONVERT(varchar(10),s.max_length) END+')'
WHEN t.name IN ('nvarchar','nchar') THEN t.name+'('+CASE WHEN s.max_length<0 then 'MAX' ELSE CONVERT(varchar(10),s.max_length/2) END+')'
WHEN t.name IN ('numeric') THEN t.name+'('+CONVERT(varchar(10),s.precision)+','+CONVERT(varchar(10),s.scale)+')'
ELSE t.name
END AS DataType
,CASE
WHEN s.is_nullable=1 THEN 'NULL'
ELSE 'NOT NULL'
END AS Nullable
,CASE
WHEN ic.column_id IS NULL THEN ''
ELSE ' identity('+ISNULL(CONVERT(varchar(10),ic.seed_value),'')+','+ISNULL(CONVERT(varchar(10),ic.increment_value),'')+')='+ISNULL(CONVERT(varchar(10),ic.last_value),'null')
END
+CASE
WHEN sc.column_id IS NULL THEN ''
ELSE ' computed('+ISNULL(sc.definition,'')+')'
END
+CASE
WHEN cc.object_id IS NULL THEN ''
ELSE ' check('+ISNULL(cc.definition,'')+')'
END
AS MiscInfo
FROM sys.columns s
INNER JOIN sys.types t ON s.system_type_id=t.user_type_id and t.is_user_defined=0
INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON s.object_id=o.object_id
INNER JOIN sys.schemas sh on o.schema_id=sh.schema_id
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.identity_columns ic ON s.object_id=ic.object_id AND s.column_id=ic.column_id
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.computed_columns sc ON s.object_id=sc.object_id AND s.column_id=sc.column_id
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.check_constraints cc ON s.object_id=cc.parent_object_id AND s.column_id=cc.parent_column_id
ORDER BY sh.name+'.'+o.name,s.column_id
EDIT
Here is a basic example to get all columns in all databases:
DECLARE @SQL varchar(max)
SET @SQL=''
SELECT @SQL=@SQL+'UNION
select
'''+d.name+'.''+sh.name+''.''+o.name,c.name,c.column_id
from '+d.name+'.sys.columns c
inner join '+d.name+'.sys.objects o on c.object_id=o.object_id
INNER JOIN '+d.name+'.sys.schemas sh on o.schema_id=sh.schema_id
'
FROM sys.databases d
SELECT @SQL=RIGHT(@SQL,LEN(@SQL)-5)+'order by 1,3'
--print @SQL
EXEC (@SQL)
EDIT SQL Server 2000 version
DECLARE @SQL varchar(8000)
SET @SQL=''
SELECT @SQL=@SQL+'UNION
select
'''+d.name+'.''+sh.name+''.''+o.name,c.name,c.colid
from '+d.name+'..syscolumns c
inner join sysobjects o on c.id=o.id
INNER JOIN sysusers sh on o.uid=sh.uid
'
FROM master.dbo.sysdatabases d
SELECT @SQL=RIGHT(@SQL,LEN(@SQL)-5)+'order by 1,3'
--print @SQL
EXEC (@SQL)
EDIT
Based on some comments, here is a version using sp_MSforeachdb
:
sp_MSforeachdb 'select
''?'' AS DatabaseName, o.name AS TableName,c.name AS ColumnName
from sys.columns c
inner join ?.sys.objects o on c.object_id=o.object_id
--WHERE ''?'' NOT IN (''master'',''msdb'',''tempdb'',''model'')
order by o.name,c.column_id'
SELECT *
FROM information_schema.columns
WHERE column_name = 'My_Column'
You must set your current database name with USE [db_name]
before this query.
Why not use
Select * From INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
You can make it DB specific with
Select * From DBNAME.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS