SQL exclude a column using SELECT * [except columnA] FROM tableA?

Question

We all know that to select all columns from a table, we can use

SELECT * FROM tableA

Is there a way to exclude column(s) from a table witho

Answer 1

No.

Maintenance-light best practice is to specify only the required columns.

At least 2 reasons:

• This makes your contract between client and database stable. Same data, every time
• Performance, covering indexes

Edit (July 2011):

If you drag from Object Explorer the Columns node for a table, it puts a CSV list of columns in the Query Window for you which achieves one of your goals

Answer 2

DECLARE @SQL VARCHAR(max), @TableName sysname = 'YourTableName'

SELECT @SQL = COALESCE(@SQL + ', ', '') + Name 
FROM sys.columns
WHERE OBJECT_ID = OBJECT_ID(@TableName)
AND name NOT IN ('Not This', 'Or that');

SELECT @SQL = 'SELECT ' + @SQL + ' FROM ' + @TableName

EXEC (@SQL)

UPDATE:

You can also create a stored procedure to take care of this task if you use it more often. In this example I have used the built in STRING_SPLIT() which is available on SQL Server 2016+, but if you need there are pleanty of examples of how to create it manually on SO.

CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_select_without]
@schema_name sysname = N'dbo',
@table_name sysname,
@list_of_columns_excluded nvarchar(max),
@separator nchar(1) = N','
AS
BEGIN
 DECLARE 
 @SQL nvarchar(max),
 @full_table_name nvarchar(max) = CONCAT(@schema_name, N'.', @table_name);

 SELECT @SQL = COALESCE(@SQL + ', ', '') + QUOTENAME([Name])
 FROM sys.columns sc
 LEFT JOIN STRING_SPLIT(@list_of_columns_excluded, @separator) ss ON sc.[name] = ss.[value]
 WHERE sc.OBJECT_ID = OBJECT_ID(@full_table_name, N'u')
 AND ss.[value] IS NULL;

 SELECT @SQL = N'SELECT ' + @SQL + N' FROM ' + @full_table_name;
 EXEC(@SQL)
END

And then just:

EXEC [usp_select_without] 
@table_name = N'Test_Table',
@list_of_columns_excluded = N'ID, Date, Name';

Answer 3

Postgres sql has a way of doing it

pls refer: http://www.postgresonline.com/journal/archives/41-How-to-SELECT-ALL-EXCEPT-some-columns-in-a-table.html

The Information Schema Hack Way

SELECT 'SELECT ' || array_to_string(ARRAY(SELECT 'o' || '.' || c.column_name
        FROM information_schema.columns As c
            WHERE table_name = 'officepark' 
            AND  c.column_name NOT IN('officeparkid', 'contractor')
    ), ',') || ' FROM officepark As o' As sqlstmt

The above for my particular example table - generates an sql statement that looks like this

SELECT o.officepark,o.owner,o.squarefootage FROM officepark As o

Answer 4

Well, it is a common best practice to specify which columns you want, instead of just specifying *. So you should just state which fields you want your select to return.

Answer 5

If you don't want to write each column name manually you can use Script Table As by right clicking on table or view in SSMS like this:

Then you will get whole select query in New Query Editor Window then remove unwanted column like this:

Done

Answer 6

If we are talking of Procedures, it works with this trick to generate a new query and EXECUTE IMMEDIATE it:

SELECT LISTAGG((column_name), ', ') WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY column_id)
INTO var_list_of_columns
FROM ALL_TAB_COLUMNS
WHERE table_name = 'PUT_HERE_YOUR_TABLE'
AND column_name NOT IN ('dont_want_this_column','neither_this_one','etc_column');