T-SQL query to show table definition?

Question

What is a query that will show me the full definition, including indexes and keys for a SQL Server table? I want a pure query - and know that SQL Studio can give this to me

Answer 1

SELECT ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE, CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH
       , IS_NULLABLE
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'EMPLOYEES'

Answer 2

There is no easy way to return the DDL. However you can get most of the details from Information Schema Views and System Views.

SELECT ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE, CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH
       , IS_NULLABLE
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'Customers'

SELECT CONSTRAINT_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.CONSTRAINT_TABLE_USAGE
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'Customers'

SELECT name, type_desc, is_unique, is_primary_key
FROM sys.indexes
WHERE [object_id] = OBJECT_ID('dbo.Customers')

Answer 3

This will return columns, datatypes, and indexes defined on the table:

--List all tables in DB
select * from sysobjects where xtype = 'U'

--Table Definition
sp_help TableName

This will return triggers defined on the table:

--Triggers in SQL Table
select * from sys.triggers where parent_id = object_id(N'SQLTableName') 

Answer 4

Have you tried sp_help?

sp_help 'TableName'