In SQL Server, how do I generate a CREATE TABLE statement for a given table?

Question

I\'ve spent a good amount of time coming up with solution to this problem, so in the spirit of this post, I\'m posting it here, since I think it might be useful to others. <

Answer 1

-- or you could create a stored procedure ... first with Id creation

USE [db]
GO

/****** Object:  StoredProcedure [dbo].[procUtils_InsertGeneratorWithId]    Script Date: 06/13/2009 22:18:11 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO


create PROC [dbo].[procUtils_InsertGeneratorWithId]    
(    
@domain_user varchar(50),    
@tableName varchar(100)    
)     


as    

--Declare a cursor to retrieve column specific information for the specified table    
DECLARE cursCol CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR     
SELECT column_name,data_type FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_name = @tableName    
OPEN cursCol    
DECLARE @string nvarchar(3000) --for storing the first half of INSERT statement    
DECLARE @stringData nvarchar(3000) --for storing the data (VALUES) related statement    
DECLARE @dataType nvarchar(1000) --data types returned for respective columns    
DECLARE @IDENTITY_STRING nvarchar ( 100 )    
SET @IDENTITY_STRING = ' '     
select  @IDENTITY_STRING    
SET @string='INSERT '+@tableName+'('    
SET @stringData=''    

DECLARE @colName nvarchar(50)    

FETCH NEXT FROM cursCol INTO @colName,@dataType    

IF @@fetch_status<>0    
 begin    
 print 'Table '+@tableName+' not found, processing skipped.'    
 close curscol    
 deallocate curscol    
 return    
END    

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS=0    
BEGIN    
IF @dataType in ('varchar','char','nchar','nvarchar')    
BEGIN    
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull('+@colName+','''')+'''''',''+'    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+''''+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+'+@colName+'+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',''+'    
END    
ELSE    
if @dataType in ('text','ntext') --if the datatype is text or something else     
BEGIN    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(2000)),'''')+'''''',''+'    
END    
ELSE    
IF @dataType = 'money' --because money doesn't get converted from varchar implicitly    
BEGIN    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(money,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0.0000'')+''''''),''+'    
END    
ELSE     
IF @dataType='datetime'    
BEGIN    
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0'')+''''''),''+'    
 --SELECT 'INSERT Authorizations(StatusDate) VALUES('+'convert(datetime,'+isnull(''''+convert(varchar(200),StatusDate,121)+'''','NULL')+',121),)' FROM Authorizations    
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(money,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0.0000'')+''''''),''+'    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,'+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+',121)+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',121),''+'    
  --                             'convert(datetime,'+isnull(''''+convert(varchar(200),StatusDate,121)+'''','NULL')+',121),)' FROM Authorizations    
END    
ELSE     
IF @dataType='image'     
BEGIN    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast(convert(varbinary,'+@colName+') as varchar(6)),''0'')+'''''',''+'    
END    
ELSE --presuming the data type is int,bit,numeric,decimal     
BEGIN    
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0'')+'''''',''+'    
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,'+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+',121)+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',121),''+'    
 SET @stringData=@stringData+''''+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+')+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',''+'    
END    

SET @string=@string+@colName+','    

FETCH NEXT FROM cursCol INTO @colName,@dataType    
END    
DECLARE @Query nvarchar(4000)    

SET @query ='SELECT '''+substring(@string,0,len(@string)) + ') VALUES(''+ ' + substring(@stringData,0,len(@stringData)-2)+'''+'')'' FROM '+@tableName    
exec sp_executesql @query    
--select @query    

CLOSE cursCol    
DEALLOCATE cursCol    


  /*
USAGE

*/

GO

-- and second without iD INSERTION

USE [db]
GO

/****** Object:  StoredProcedure [dbo].[procUtils_InsertGenerator]    Script Date: 06/13/2009 22:20:52 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO

CREATE PROC [dbo].[procUtils_InsertGenerator]        
(        
@domain_user varchar(50),        
@tableName varchar(100)        
)         


as        

--Declare a cursor to retrieve column specific information for the specified table        
DECLARE cursCol CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR         


-- SELECT column_name,data_type FROM information_schema.columns WHERE table_name = @tableName        
/* NEW     
SELECT c.name , sc.data_type  FROM sys.extended_properties AS ep                   
INNER JOIN sys.tables AS t ON ep.major_id = t.object_id                   
INNER JOIN sys.columns AS c ON ep.major_id = c.object_id AND ep.minor_id                   
= c.column_id                   
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS sc ON t.name = sc.table_name and                   
c.name = sc.column_name                   
WHERE t.name = @tableName and c.is_identity=0      
  */      

select object_name(c.object_id) "TABLE_NAME", c.name "COLUMN_NAME", s.name "DATA_TYPE"      
  from sys.columns c          
  join sys.systypes s on (s.xtype = c.system_type_id)          
  where object_name(c.object_id) in (select name from sys.tables where name not like 'sysdiagrams')          
   AND object_name(c.object_id) in (select name from sys.tables where [name]=@tableName  ) and c.is_identity=0 and s.name not like 'sysname'  




OPEN cursCol        
DECLARE @string nvarchar(3000) --for storing the first half of INSERT statement        
DECLARE @stringData nvarchar(3000) --for storing the data (VALUES) related statement        
DECLARE @dataType nvarchar(1000) --data types returned for respective columns        
DECLARE @IDENTITY_STRING nvarchar ( 100 )        
SET @IDENTITY_STRING = ' '         
select  @IDENTITY_STRING        
SET @string='INSERT '+@tableName+'('        
SET @stringData=''        

DECLARE @colName nvarchar(50)        

FETCH NEXT FROM cursCol INTO @tableName , @colName,@dataType        

IF @@fetch_status<>0        
 begin        
 print 'Table '+@tableName+' not found, processing skipped.'        
 close curscol        
 deallocate curscol        
 return        
END        

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS=0        
BEGIN        
IF @dataType in ('varchar','char','nchar','nvarchar')        
BEGIN        
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull('+@colName+','''')+'''''',''+'        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+''''+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+'+@colName+'+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',''+'        
END        
ELSE        
if @dataType in ('text','ntext') --if the datatype is text or something else         
BEGIN        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(2000)),'''')+'''''',''+'        
END        
ELSE        
IF @dataType = 'money' --because money doesn't get converted from varchar implicitly        
BEGIN        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(money,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0.0000'')+''''''),''+'        
END        
ELSE         
IF @dataType='datetime'        
BEGIN        
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0'')+''''''),''+'        
 --SELECT 'INSERT Authorizations(StatusDate) VALUES('+'convert(datetime,'+isnull(''''+convert(varchar(200),StatusDate,121)+'''','NULL')+',121),)' FROM Authorizations        
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(money,''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0.0000'')+''''''),''+'        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,'+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+',121)+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',121),''+'        
  --                             'convert(datetime,'+isnull(''''+convert(varchar(200),StatusDate,121)+'''','NULL')+',121),)' FROM Authorizations        
END        
ELSE         
IF @dataType='image'         
BEGIN        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast(convert(varbinary,'+@colName+') as varchar(6)),''0'')+'''''',''+'        
END        
ELSE --presuming the data type is int,bit,numeric,decimal         
BEGIN        
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''''''''+isnull(cast('+@colName+' as varchar(200)),''0'')+'''''',''+'        
 --SET @stringData=@stringData+'''convert(datetime,'+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+',121)+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',121),''+'        
 SET @stringData=@stringData+''''+'''+isnull('''''+'''''+convert(varchar(200),'+@colName+')+'''''+''''',''NULL'')+'',''+'        
END        

SET @string=@string+@colName+','        

FETCH NEXT FROM cursCol INTO @tableName , @colName,@dataType        
END        
DECLARE @Query nvarchar(4000)        

SET @query ='SELECT '''+substring(@string,0,len(@string)) + ') VALUES(''+ ' + substring(@stringData,0,len(@stringData)-2)+'''+'')'' FROM '+@tableName        
exec sp_executesql @query        
--select @query       

CLOSE cursCol        
DEALLOCATE cursCol        


  /*      

use poc     
go    

DECLARE @RC int      
DECLARE @domain_user varchar(50)      
DECLARE @tableName varchar(100)      

-- TODO: Set parameter values here.      
set @domain_user='yorgeorg'      
set @tableName = 'tbGui_WizardTabButtonAreas'      

EXECUTE @RC = [POC].[dbo].[procUtils_InsertGenerator]       
   @domain_user      
  ,@tableName      

*/
GO