How do I find a default constraint using INFORMATION_SCHEMA?

Question

I\'m trying to test if a given default constraint exists. I don\'t want to use the sysobjects table, but the more standard INFORMATION_SCHEMA.

I\'ve used this to che

Answer 1

Object Catalog View : sys.default_constraints

The information schema views INFORMATION_SCHEMA are ANSI-compliant, but the default constraints aren't a part of ISO standard. Microsoft SQL Server provides system catalog views for getting information about SQL Server object metadata.

sys.default_constraints system catalog view used to getting the information about default constraints.

SELECT so.object_id TableName,
       ss.name AS TableSchema,
       cc.name AS Name,
       cc.object_id AS ObjectID,              
       sc.name AS ColumnName,
       cc.parent_column_id AS ColumnID,
       cc.definition AS Defination,
       CONVERT(BIT,
               CASE cc.is_system_named
                   WHEN 1
                   THEN 1
                   ELSE 0
               END) AS IsSystemNamed,
       cc.create_date AS CreationDate,
       cc.modify_date AS LastModifiednDate
FROM sys.default_constraints cc WITH (NOLOCK)
     INNER JOIN sys.objects so WITH (NOLOCK) ON so.object_id = cc.parent_object_id
     LEFT JOIN sys.schemas ss WITH (NOLOCK) ON ss.schema_id = so.schema_id
     LEFT JOIN sys.columns sc WITH (NOLOCK) ON sc.column_id = cc.parent_column_id
                                               AND sc.object_id = cc.parent_object_id
ORDER BY so.name,
         cc.name;

Answer 2

Probably because on some of the other SQL DBMSs the "default constraint" is not really a constraint, you'll not find its name in "INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS", so your best bet is "INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS" as others have mentioned already.

(SQLServer-ignoramus here)

The only a reason I can think of when you have to know the "default constraint"'s name is if SQLServer doesn't support "ALTER TABLE xxx ALTER COLUMN yyy SET DEFAULT..." command. But then you are already in a non-standard zone and you have to use the product-specific ways to get what you need.

Answer 3

Is the COLUMN_DEFAULT column of INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS what you are looking for?

Answer 4

The script below lists all the default constraints and the default values for the user tables in the database in which it is being run:

SELECT  
        b.name AS TABLE_NAME,
        d.name AS COLUMN_NAME,
        a.name AS CONSTRAINT_NAME,
        c.text AS DEFAULT_VALUE
FROM sys.sysobjects a INNER JOIN
        (SELECT name, id
         FROM sys.sysobjects 
         WHERE xtype = 'U') b on (a.parent_obj = b.id)
                      INNER JOIN sys.syscomments c ON (a.id = c.id)
                      INNER JOIN sys.syscolumns d ON (d.cdefault = a.id)                                          
 WHERE a.xtype = 'D'        
 ORDER BY b.name, a.name

Answer 5

select c.name, col.name from sys.default_constraints c
    inner join sys.columns col on col.default_object_id = c.object_id
    inner join sys.objects o  on o.object_id = c.parent_object_id
    inner join sys.schemas s on s.schema_id = o.schema_id
where s.name = @SchemaName and o.name = @TableName and col.name = @ColumnName

Answer 6

Necromancing.
If you only need to check if a default-constraint exists
(default-constraint(s) may have different name in poorly-managed DBs),
use INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS (column_default):

IF NOT EXISTS(
    SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
    WHERE (1=1) 
    AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'dbo' 
    AND TABLE_NAME = 'T_VWS_PdfBibliothek' 
    AND COLUMN_NAME = 'PB_Text'
    AND COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NOT NULL  
)
BEGIN 
    EXECUTE('ALTER TABLE dbo.T_VWS_PdfBibliothek 
                ADD CONSTRAINT DF_T_VWS_PdfBibliothek_PB_Text DEFAULT (N''image'') FOR PB_Text; 
    '); 
END 

If you want to check by the constraint-name only:

-- Alternative way: 
IF OBJECT_ID('DF_CONSTRAINT_NAME', 'D') IS NOT NULL 
BEGIN
    -- constraint exists, deal with it.
END 

And last but not least, you can just create a view called
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DEFAULT_CONSTRAINTS:

CREATE VIEW INFORMATION_SCHEMA.DEFAULT_CONSTRAINTS 
AS 
SELECT 
     DB_NAME() AS CONSTRAINT_CATALOG 
    ,csch.name AS CONSTRAINT_SCHEMA
    ,dc.name AS CONSTRAINT_NAME 
    ,DB_NAME() AS TABLE_CATALOG 
    ,sch.name AS TABLE_SCHEMA 
    ,syst.name AS TABLE_NAME 
    ,sysc.name AS COLUMN_NAME 
    ,COLUMNPROPERTY(sysc.object_id, sysc.name, 'ordinal') AS ORDINAL_POSITION 
    ,dc.type_desc AS CONSTRAINT_TYPE 
    ,dc.definition AS COLUMN_DEFAULT 

    -- ,dc.create_date 
    -- ,dc.modify_date 
FROM sys.columns AS sysc -- 46918 / 3892 with inner joins + where 
-- FROM sys.all_columns AS sysc -- 55429 / 3892 with inner joins + where 

INNER JOIN sys.tables AS syst 
    ON syst.object_id = sysc.object_id 

INNER JOIN sys.schemas AS sch
    ON sch.schema_id = syst.schema_id 

INNER JOIN sys.default_constraints AS dc 
    ON sysc.default_object_id = dc.object_id

INNER JOIN sys.schemas AS csch
    ON csch.schema_id = dc.schema_id 

WHERE (1=1) 
AND dc.is_ms_shipped = 0 

/*
WHERE (1=1) 
AND sch.name = 'dbo'
AND syst.name = 'tablename'
AND sysc.name = 'columnname'
*/