In SQL Server, how do I generate a CREATE TABLE statement for a given table?
Here's the script that I came up with. It handles Identity columns, default values, and primary keys. It does not handle foreign keys, indexes, triggers, or any other clever stuff. It works on SQLServer 2000, 2005 and 2008.
declare @schema varchar(100), @table varchar(100)
set @schema = 'dbo' -- set schema name here
set @table = 'MyTable' -- set table name here
declare @sql table(s varchar(1000), id int identity)
-- create statement
insert into @sql(s) values ('create table [' + @table + '] (')
-- column list
insert into @sql(s)
select
' ['+column_name+'] ' +
data_type + coalesce('('+cast(character_maximum_length as varchar)+')','') + ' ' +
case when exists (
select id from syscolumns
where object_name(id)=@table
and name=column_name
and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1
) then
'IDENTITY(' +
cast(ident_seed(@table) as varchar) + ',' +
cast(ident_incr(@table) as varchar) + ')'
else ''
end + ' ' +
( case when IS_NULLABLE = 'No' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' +
coalesce('DEFAULT '+COLUMN_DEFAULT,'') + ','
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS where table_name = @table AND table_schema = @schema
order by ordinal_position
-- primary key
declare @pkname varchar(100)
select @pkname = constraint_name from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS
where table_name = @table and constraint_type='PRIMARY KEY'
if ( @pkname is not null ) begin
insert into @sql(s) values(' PRIMARY KEY (')
insert into @sql(s)
select ' ['+COLUMN_NAME+'],' from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.KEY_COLUMN_USAGE
where constraint_name = @pkname
order by ordinal_position
-- remove trailing comma
update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
insert into @sql(s) values (' )')
end
else begin
-- remove trailing comma
update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
end
-- closing bracket
insert into @sql(s) values( ')' )
-- result!
select s from @sql order by id
I've modified the version above to run for all tables and support new SQL 2005 data types. It also retains the primary key names. Works only on SQL 2005 (using cross apply).
select 'create table [' + so.name + '] (' + o.list + ')' + CASE WHEN tc.Constraint_Name IS NULL THEN '' ELSE 'ALTER TABLE ' + so.Name + ' ADD CONSTRAINT ' + tc.Constraint_Name + ' PRIMARY KEY ' + ' (' + LEFT(j.List, Len(j.List)-1) + ')' END
from sysobjects so
cross apply
(SELECT
' ['+column_name+'] ' +
data_type + case data_type
when 'sql_variant' then ''
when 'text' then ''
when 'ntext' then ''
when 'xml' then ''
when 'decimal' then '(' + cast(numeric_precision as varchar) + ', ' + cast(numeric_scale as varchar) + ')'
else coalesce('('+case when character_maximum_length = -1 then 'MAX' else cast(character_maximum_length as varchar) end +')','') end + ' ' +
case when exists (
select id from syscolumns
where object_name(id)=so.name
and name=column_name
and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1
) then
'IDENTITY(' +
cast(ident_seed(so.name) as varchar) + ',' +
cast(ident_incr(so.name) as varchar) + ')'
else ''
end + ' ' +
(case when UPPER(IS_NULLABLE) = 'NO' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' +
case when information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NOT NULL THEN 'DEFAULT '+ information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT ELSE '' END + ', '
from information_schema.columns where table_name = so.name
order by ordinal_position
FOR XML PATH('')) o (list)
left join
information_schema.table_constraints tc
on tc.Table_name = so.Name
AND tc.Constraint_Type = 'PRIMARY KEY'
cross apply
(select '[' + Column_Name + '], '
FROM information_schema.key_column_usage kcu
WHERE kcu.Constraint_Name = tc.Constraint_Name
ORDER BY
ORDINAL_POSITION
FOR XML PATH('')) j (list)
where xtype = 'U'
AND name NOT IN ('dtproperties')
Update: Added handling of the XML data type
Update 2: Fixed cases when 1) there is multiple tables with the same name but with different schemas, 2) there is multiple tables having PK constraint with the same name