How do I find a default constraint using INFORMATION_SCHEMA?

Question

I\'m trying to test if a given default constraint exists. I don\'t want to use the sysobjects table, but the more standard INFORMATION_SCHEMA.

I\'ve used this to che

Answer 1

Necromancing.
If you only need to check if a default-constraint exists
(default-constraint(s) may have different name in poorly-managed DBs),
use INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS (column_default):

IF NOT EXISTS(
    SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
    WHERE (1=1) 
    AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'dbo' 
    AND TABLE_NAME = 'T_VWS_PdfBibliothek' 
    AND COLUMN_NAME = 'PB_Text'
    AND COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NOT NULL  
)
BEGIN 
    EXECUTE('ALTER TABLE dbo.T_VWS_PdfBibliothek 
                ADD CONSTRAINT DF_T_VWS_PdfBibliothek_PB_Text DEFAULT (N''image'') FOR PB_Text; 
    '); 
END 

If you want to check by the constraint-name only:

-- Alternative way: 
IF OBJECT_ID('DF_CONSTRAINT_NAME', 'D') IS NOT NULL 
BEGIN
    -- constraint exists, deal with it.
END 

And last but not least, you can just create a view called
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DEFAULT_CONSTRAINTS:

CREATE VIEW INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DEFAULT_CONSTRAINTS 
AS 
SELECT 
     DB_NAME() AS CONSTRAINT_CATALOG 
    ,csch.name AS CONSTRAINT_SCHEMA
    ,dc.name AS CONSTRAINT_NAME 
    ,DB_NAME() AS TABLE_CATALOG 
    ,sch.name AS TABLE_SCHEMA 
    ,syst.name AS TABLE_NAME 
    ,sysc.name AS COLUMN_NAME 
    ,COLUMNPROPERTY(sysc.object_id, sysc.name, 'ordinal') AS ORDINAL_POSITION 
    ,dc.type_desc AS CONSTRAINT_TYPE 
    ,dc.definition AS COLUMN_DEFAULT 

    -- ,dc.create_date 
    -- ,dc.modify_date 
FROM sys.columns AS sysc -- 46918 / 3892 with inner joins + where 
-- FROM sys.all_columns AS sysc -- 55429 / 3892 with inner joins + where 

INNER JOIN sys.tables AS syst 
    ON syst.object_id = sysc.object_id 

INNER JOIN sys.schemas AS sch
    ON sch.schema_id = syst.schema_id 

INNER JOIN sys.default_constraints AS dc 
    ON sysc.default_object_id = dc.object_id

INNER JOIN sys.schemas AS csch
    ON csch.schema_id = dc.schema_id 

WHERE (1=1) 
AND dc.is_ms_shipped = 0 

/*
WHERE (1=1) 
AND sch.name = 'dbo'
AND syst.name = 'tablename'
AND sysc.name = 'columnname'
*/