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

I've modified the version above to run for all tables and support new SQL 2005 data types. It also retains the primary key names. Works only on SQL 2005 (using cross apply).

select  'create table [' + so.name + '] (' + o.list + ')' + CASE WHEN tc.Constraint_Name IS NULL THEN '' ELSE 'ALTER TABLE ' + so.Name + ' ADD CONSTRAINT ' + tc.Constraint_Name  + ' PRIMARY KEY ' + ' (' + LEFT(j.List, Len(j.List)-1) + ')' END
from    sysobjects so
cross apply
    (SELECT 
        '  ['+column_name+'] ' + 
        data_type + case data_type
            when 'sql_variant' then ''
            when 'text' then ''
            when 'ntext' then ''
            when 'xml' then ''
            when 'decimal' then '(' + cast(numeric_precision as varchar) + ', ' + cast(numeric_scale as varchar) + ')'
            else coalesce('('+case when character_maximum_length = -1 then 'MAX' else cast(character_maximum_length as varchar) end +')','') end + ' ' +
        case when exists ( 
        select id from syscolumns
        where object_name(id)=so.name
        and name=column_name
        and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1 
        ) then
        'IDENTITY(' + 
        cast(ident_seed(so.name) as varchar) + ',' + 
        cast(ident_incr(so.name) as varchar) + ')'
        else ''
        end + ' ' +
         (case when UPPER(IS_NULLABLE) = 'NO' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' + 
          case when information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NOT NULL THEN 'DEFAULT '+ information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT ELSE '' END + ', ' 

     from information_schema.columns where table_name = so.name
     order by ordinal_position
    FOR XML PATH('')) o (list)
left join
    information_schema.table_constraints tc
on  tc.Table_name       = so.Name
AND tc.Constraint_Type  = 'PRIMARY KEY'
cross apply
    (select '[' + Column_Name + '], '
     FROM   information_schema.key_column_usage kcu
     WHERE  kcu.Constraint_Name = tc.Constraint_Name
     ORDER BY
        ORDINAL_POSITION
     FOR XML PATH('')) j (list)
where   xtype = 'U'
AND name    NOT IN ('dtproperties')

Update: Added handling of the XML data type

Update 2: Fixed cases when 1) there is multiple tables with the same name but with different schemas, 2) there is multiple tables having PK constraint with the same name

Answer 2

I modified the accepted answer and now it can get the command including primary key and foreign key in a certain schema.

declare @table varchar(100)
declare @schema varchar(100)
set @table = 'Persons' -- set table name here
set @schema = 'OT' -- set SCHEMA name here
declare @sql table(s varchar(1000), id int identity)

-- create statement
insert into  @sql(s) values ('create table ' + @table + ' (')

-- column list
insert into @sql(s)
select 
    '  '+column_name+' ' + 
    data_type + coalesce('('+cast(character_maximum_length as varchar)+')','') + ' ' +
    case when exists ( 
        select id from syscolumns
        where object_name(id)=@table
        and name=column_name
        and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1 
    ) then
        'IDENTITY(' + 
        cast(ident_seed(@table) as varchar) + ',' + 
        cast(ident_incr(@table) as varchar) + ')'
    else ''
    end + ' ' +
    ( case when IS_NULLABLE = 'No' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' + 
    coalesce('DEFAULT '+COLUMN_DEFAULT,'') + ','

 from information_schema.columns where table_name = @table and table_schema = @schema
 order by ordinal_position

-- primary key
declare @pkname varchar(100)
select @pkname = constraint_name from information_schema.table_constraints
where table_name = @table and constraint_type='PRIMARY KEY'

if ( @pkname is not null ) begin
    insert into @sql(s) values('  PRIMARY KEY (')
    insert into @sql(s)
        select '   '+COLUMN_NAME+',' from information_schema.key_column_usage
        where constraint_name = @pkname
        order by ordinal_position
    -- remove trailing comma
    update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
    insert into @sql(s) values ('  )')
end
else begin
    -- remove trailing comma
    update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
end


-- foreign key
declare @fkname varchar(100)
select @fkname = constraint_name from information_schema.table_constraints
where table_name = @table and constraint_type='FOREIGN KEY'

if ( @fkname is not null ) begin
    insert into @sql(s) values(',')
    insert into @sql(s) values('  FOREIGN KEY (')
    insert into @sql(s)
        select '   '+COLUMN_NAME+',' from information_schema.key_column_usage
        where constraint_name = @fkname
        order by ordinal_position
    -- remove trailing comma
    update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
    insert into @sql(s) values ('  ) REFERENCES ')
    insert into @sql(s) 
        SELECT  
            OBJECT_NAME(fk.referenced_object_id)
        FROM 
            sys.foreign_keys fk
        INNER JOIN 
            sys.foreign_key_columns fkc ON fkc.constraint_object_id = fk.object_id
        INNER JOIN
            sys.columns c1 ON fkc.parent_column_id = c1.column_id AND fkc.parent_object_id = c1.object_id
        INNER JOIN
            sys.columns c2 ON fkc.referenced_column_id = c2.column_id AND fkc.referenced_object_id = c2.object_id
        where fk.name = @fkname
    insert into @sql(s) 
        SELECT  
            '('+c2.name+')'
        FROM 
            sys.foreign_keys fk
        INNER JOIN 
            sys.foreign_key_columns fkc ON fkc.constraint_object_id = fk.object_id
        INNER JOIN
            sys.columns c1 ON fkc.parent_column_id = c1.column_id AND fkc.parent_object_id = c1.object_id
        INNER JOIN
            sys.columns c2 ON fkc.referenced_column_id = c2.column_id AND fkc.referenced_object_id = c2.object_id
        where fk.name = @fkname
end

-- closing bracket
insert into @sql(s) values( ')' )

-- result!
select s from @sql order by id

Answer 3

I'm going to improve the answer by supporting partitioned tables:

find partition scheme and partition key using below scritps:

declare @partition_scheme varchar(100) = (
select distinct ps.Name AS PartitionScheme
from sys.indexes i  
join sys.partitions p ON i.object_id=p.object_id AND i.index_id=p.index_id  
join sys.partition_schemes ps on ps.data_space_id = i.data_space_id  
where i.object_id = object_id('your table name')
)
print @partition_scheme

declare @partition_column varchar(100) = (
select c.name 
from  sys.tables          t
join  sys.indexes         i 
      on(i.object_id = t.object_id 
  and i.index_id < 2)
join  sys.index_columns  ic 
  on(ic.partition_ordinal > 0 
  and ic.index_id = i.index_id and ic.object_id = t.object_id)
join  sys.columns         c 
  on(c.object_id = ic.object_id 
  and c.column_id = ic.column_id)
where t.object_id  = object_id('your table name')
)
print @partition_column

then change the generation query by adding below line at the right place:

+ IIF(@partition_scheme is null, '', 'ON [' + @partition_scheme + ']([' + @partition_column + '])')

Answer 4

Here's the script that I came up with. It handles Identity columns, default values, and primary keys. It does not handle foreign keys, indexes, triggers, or any other clever stuff. It works on SQLServer 2000, 2005 and 2008.

declare @schema varchar(100), @table varchar(100)
set @schema = 'dbo' -- set schema name here
set @table = 'MyTable' -- set table name here
declare @sql table(s varchar(1000), id int identity)

-- create statement
insert into  @sql(s) values ('create table [' + @table + '] (')

-- column list
insert into @sql(s)
select 
    '  ['+column_name+'] ' + 
    data_type + coalesce('('+cast(character_maximum_length as varchar)+')','') + ' ' +
    case when exists ( 
        select id from syscolumns
        where object_name(id)=@table
        and name=column_name
        and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1 
    ) then
        'IDENTITY(' + 
        cast(ident_seed(@table) as varchar) + ',' + 
        cast(ident_incr(@table) as varchar) + ')'
    else ''
    end + ' ' +
    ( case when IS_NULLABLE = 'No' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' + 
    coalesce('DEFAULT '+COLUMN_DEFAULT,'') + ','

 from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS where table_name = @table AND table_schema = @schema
 order by ordinal_position

-- primary key
declare @pkname varchar(100)
select @pkname = constraint_name from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS
where table_name = @table and constraint_type='PRIMARY KEY'

if ( @pkname is not null ) begin
    insert into @sql(s) values('  PRIMARY KEY (')
    insert into @sql(s)
        select '   ['+COLUMN_NAME+'],' from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.KEY_COLUMN_USAGE
        where constraint_name = @pkname
        order by ordinal_position
    -- remove trailing comma
    update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
    insert into @sql(s) values ('  )')
end
else begin
    -- remove trailing comma
    update @sql set s=left(s,len(s)-1) where id=@@identity
end

-- closing bracket
insert into @sql(s) values( ')' )

-- result!
select s from @sql order by id

Answer 5

Show create table in classic asp (handles constraints, primary keys, copying the table structure and/or data ...)

Sql server Show create table Mysql-style "Show create table" and "show create database" commands from Microsoft sql server. The script is written is Microsoft asp-language and is quite easy to port to another language.*

Answer 6

I include definitions for computed columns

    select 'CREATE TABLE [' + so.name + '] (' + o.list + ')' + CASE WHEN tc.Constraint_Name IS NULL THEN '' ELSE 'ALTER TABLE ' + so.Name + ' ADD CONSTRAINT ' + tc.Constraint_Name  + ' PRIMARY KEY ' + ' (' + LEFT(j.List, Len(j.List)-1) + ')' END, name
from    sysobjects so
cross apply
    (SELECT

case when comps.definition is not null then '  ['+column_name+'] AS ' + comps.definition 
else
        '  ['+column_name+'] ' + data_type + 
        case
        when data_type like '%text' or data_type in ('image', 'sql_variant' ,'xml')
            then ''
        when data_type in ('float')
            then '(' + cast(coalesce(numeric_precision, 18) as varchar(11)) + ')'
        when data_type in ('datetime2', 'datetimeoffset', 'time')
            then '(' + cast(coalesce(datetime_precision, 7) as varchar(11)) + ')'
        when data_type in ('decimal', 'numeric')
            then '(' + cast(coalesce(numeric_precision, 18) as varchar(11)) + ',' + cast(coalesce(numeric_scale, 0) as varchar(11)) + ')'
        when (data_type like '%binary' or data_type like '%char') and character_maximum_length = -1
            then '(max)'
        when character_maximum_length is not null
            then '(' + cast(character_maximum_length as varchar(11)) + ')'
        else ''
        end + ' ' +
        case when exists ( 
        select id from syscolumns
        where object_name(id)=so.name
        and name=column_name
        and columnproperty(id,name,'IsIdentity') = 1 
        ) then
        'IDENTITY(' + 
        cast(ident_seed(so.name) as varchar) + ',' + 
        cast(ident_incr(so.name) as varchar) + ')'
        else ''
        end + ' ' +
         (case when information_schema.columns.IS_NULLABLE = 'No' then 'NOT ' else '' end ) + 'NULL ' + 
          case when information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT IS NOT NULL THEN 'DEFAULT '+ information_schema.columns.COLUMN_DEFAULT ELSE '' END 
end + ', ' 

     from information_schema.columns 
     left join sys.computed_columns comps 
     on OBJECT_ID(information_schema.columns.TABLE_NAME)=comps.object_id and information_schema.columns.COLUMN_NAME=comps.name

     where table_name = so.name
     order by ordinal_position
    FOR XML PATH('')) o (list)
left join
    information_schema.table_constraints tc
on  tc.Table_name       = so.Name
AND tc.Constraint_Type  = 'PRIMARY KEY'
cross apply
    (select '[' + Column_Name + '], '
     FROM   information_schema.key_column_usage kcu
     WHERE  kcu.Constraint_Name = tc.Constraint_Name
     ORDER BY
        ORDINAL_POSITION
     FOR XML PATH('')) j (list)
where   xtype = 'U'
AND name    NOT IN ('dtproperties')