SQL Server 2008 : Cannot Insert new column in the middle position and change data type

Question

My OS is Windows server 2008.

I\'ve already installed SQL Server Express 2008.

I have several problems:

1. I can\'t insert a new column in the mid

Answer 1

Column order doesn't matter either in the designer or in sys.columns.

The on disk storage will be the same regardless: Inside the Storage Engine - Anatomy of a record.

There is no performance benefit either.

Answer 2

I think using query it's not possible, but you do using UI of SSMS. right click on selected table and Insert Column whenever you want.

Think it does not matter columns order.

Answer 3

In SSMS Tools -> Options -> Designers you would need to uncheck the option "Prevent Saving Changes that require table re-creation" to allow you to do this in SSMS.

This will rebuild the table and so generally isn't worth the hassle if the table is at all large and will make deployment to production trickier.

If there are columns which logically you would prefer to have next to each other to make writing queries easier you can create a View with the desired column order.

Answer 4

If you want a script to do this, all you need to do is select the data out into a temporary table, drop the table, recreate it with the columns in your preferred order and then reinsert the data from the temporary table in the right order.