Can I logically reorder columns in a table?

Question

If I\'m adding a column to a table in Microsoft SQL Server, can I control where the column is displayed logically in queries?

I don\'t want to mess with the physical

Answer 1

1. Script your existing table to a query window.
2. Run this script against a Test database (remove the Use statement)
3. Use SSMS to make the column changes you need
4. Click Generate Change Script (left most and bottommost icon on the buttonbar, by default)
5. Use this script against your real table

All the script really does is create a second table table with the desired column orders, copies all your data into it, drops the original table and then renames the secondary table to take its place. This does save you writing it yourself though should you want a deploy script.