How to find column names for all tables in all databases in SQL Server

Question

I want to find all column names in all tables in all databases. Is there a query that can do that for me? The database is Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

Answer 1

Better way for you

sp_MSForEachDB @command1='USE ?;
SELECT 
    Table_Catalog 
    ,Table_Schema
    ,Table_Name
    ,Column_Name
    ,Data_Type
    ,Character_Maximum_Length
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE COLUMN_NAME like ''%ColumnNameHere%'''

Answer 2

user @KM say best Answer.

I Use This :

Declare @Table_Name VarChar(100) ,@Column_Name VarChar(100)
Set @Table_Name = ''
Set @Column_Name = ''

Select 
RowNumber = Row_Number() Over( PARTITION BY T.[Name] Order By T.[Name],C.column_id  ),
SCHEMA_NAME( T.schema_id ) As SchemaName ,  
T.[Name] As Table_Name ,
C.[Name] As Field_Name , 
sysType.name ,
C.max_length , C.is_nullable , C.is_identity , C.scale , C.precision  
From Sys.Tables As T
Left Join Sys.Columns As C On ( T.[Object_Id] = C.[Object_Id] )
Left Join sys.types As sysType On ( C.user_type_id = sysType.user_type_id )
Where ( Type = 'U' )
    And ( C.Name Like '%' + @Column_Name + '%' )  
    And ( T.Name Like '%' + @Table_Name + '%' ) 

Answer 3

Minor refinement on KM's solution for those like me who've got collation fun on their DB server....

DECLARE @SQL varchar(max)=''

SELECT @SQL=@SQL+'UNION
select 
'''+d.name +'.''+sh.name+''.''+o.name COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS,c.name COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS,c.column_id
from '+d.name +'.sys.columns            c
    inner join sys.objects  o on c.object_id=o.object_id
    INNER JOIN 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)

(Still living in hope that we'll find a way to do this that can be wrapped into a view.)

Answer 4

try the below query

DECLARE @Query VARCHAR(max) 
SELECT @Query = 'USE ? SELECT ''?'' AS DataBaseName,
                                sys.columns.name AS ColumnName  ,
                                sys.tables.name  AS TableName   ,
                                schema_name (sys.tables.schema_Id) AS schemaName
                         FROM sys.columns
                         JOIN sys.tables 
              ON sys.columns.object_id = sys.tables.object_id
              WHERE sys.columns.name = ''id'' '
EXEC SP_MSFOREACHDB @Query

gives list of tables containing ID column from all databases.

Answer 5

Some minor improvements

->previous answers weren't showing all results

->possible to filter on column name by setting the column name variable

DECLARE @columnname nvarchar(150)
SET @columnname=''

DECLARE @SQL varchar(max)
SET @SQL=''
SELECT @SQL=@SQL+'UNION
select 
'''+d.name+'.''+sh.name+''.''+o.name COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as name,c.name COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as columnname,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
    where c.name like ''%'+@columnname+'%'' and sh.name<>''sys'' 
'
FROM sys.databases d
SELECT @SQL=RIGHT(@SQL,LEN(@SQL)-5)+'order by 1,3'
--print @SQL
EXEC (@SQL)

Answer 6

SELECT sys.columns.name AS ColumnName, tables.name AS TableName 
FROM sys.columns 
     JOIN sys.tables ON sys.columns.object_id = tables.object_id