Get SQL Server schema via a SQL query?

Question

I\'ve inherited a clunky and horribly un-documented site from a bad developer and am trying to get a look at the database schema. Unfortunately the web host is the worst I\'ve e

Answer 1

I'm not sure if simple queries like

SHOW TABLES;
DESCRIBE table_name;
SHOW TABLE STATUS from table_name;

are valid in MS SQL. They would also be useful

Answer 2

The INFORMATION_SCHEMA schema is a good place to start:

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.VIEWS

...and so on.

You might also want to have a look at using SMO, an API to get at the metadata in SQL Server.

Answer 3

SchemaSpy http://schemaspy.sourceforge.net/ is a great tool for analyzing existing databases. It generates html lists of table and constraints as well as a graphical representation of relationships