Cloning a table without importing row data - sql-server

I need to make a provisionary table (TAB_PROV). This table will have its origin in a main table (TAB_MAIN). I need everything from the main table, except the data (rows).
I searched for some examples and none of them worked for me
CREATE TABLE TAB_PROV LIKE TAB_MAIN
CREATE TABLE TAB_PROV AS TAB_MAIN

You can just simply do:
SELECT *
FROM TAB_MAIN
INTO TAB_PROV
WHERE 1 = 2
Since the WHERE condition will never be true, no data is ever copied - but the table structure is replicated - TAB_PROV is created and has the same column as TAB_MAIN. This does NOT however copy any constraints (check or default constraints) or triggers over - it only recreates the columns (and their datatypes).
If you want a real and complete "copy" of your table, then you should use the "Script Table" function in SSMS to get the SQL needed for TAB_MAIN and then adapt it to create TAB_PROV from it.

In SQL Server Management Studio, you can right-click the table and select
Script Table as -> Create To -> New Query Editor Window
This will create just the table creation script for you.
You can also try the code below but it will copy everything.
SELECT *
INTO NewTable
FROM OldTable
TRUNCATE TABLE NewTable

Related

view created table in microsoft sql server

I am running part of a query in Microsoft SQL server management studio
Select Table1.Column1
into #Table2
from Table1
now it has created the table but I actually want to view this table with my eyes but I cannot seem to find where the table is stored. Please could someone help me find it?
That is a temporary table. It will be created in the tempdb system database and you can see it by going to tempdb -> Temporary Tables.
Any tables where its name start with # is a Temporary Table. Exactly as the name suggests, it's temporary, and only exists for the same time the connection that created it does (or it is dropped).
If you want to view the data from a temporary table, you would do so like any other table SELECT * FROM #Table2;. .
I imagine what your really after is to not use a temporary table, so drop the # from the name, and the new table will be created in the database you are connected to.

How To change the column order of An Existing Table in SQL Server 2008

I have situation where I need to change the order of the columns/adding new columns for existing Table in SQL Server 2008.
Existing column
MemberName
MemberAddress
Member_ID(pk)
and I want this order
Member_ID(pk)
MemberName
MemberAddress
I got the answer for the same ,
Go on SQL Server → Tools → Options → Designers → Table and Database Designers and unselect Prevent saving changes that require table re-creation
2- Open table design view and that scroll your column up and down and save your changes.
It is not possible with ALTER statement. If you wish to have the columns in a specific order, you will have to create a newtable, use INSERT INTO newtable (col-x,col-a,col-b) SELECT col-x,col-a,col-b FROM oldtable to transfer the data from the oldtable to the newtable, delete the oldtable and rename the newtable to the oldtable name.
This is not necessarily recommended because it does not matter which order the columns are in the database table. When you use a SELECT statement, you can name the columns and have them returned to you in the order that you desire.
If your table doesn't have any records you can just drop then create your table.
If it has records you can do it using your SQL Server Management Studio.
Just click your table > right click > click Design then you can now arrange the order of the columns by dragging the fields on the order that you want then click save.
Best Regards
I tried this and dont see any way of doing it.
here is my approach for it.
Right click on table and Script table for Create and have this on
one of the SQL Query window,
EXEC sp_rename 'Employee', 'Employee1' -- Original table name is Employee
Execute the Employee create script, make sure you arrange the columns in the way you need.
INSERT INTO TABLE2 SELECT * FROM TABLE1.
-- Insert into Employee select Name, Company from Employee1
DROP table Employee1.
Relying on column order is generally a bad idea in SQL. SQL is based on Relational theory where order is never guaranteed - by design. You should treat all your columns and rows as having no order and then change your queries to provide the correct results:
For Columns:
Try not to use SELECT *, but instead specify the order of columns in the select list as in: SELECT Member_ID, MemberName, MemberAddress from TableName. This will guarantee order and will ease maintenance if columns get added.
For Rows:
Row order in your result set is only guaranteed if you specify the ORDER BY clause.
If no ORDER BY clause is specified the result set may differ as the Query Plan might differ or the database pages might have changed.
Hope this helps...
This can be an issue when using Source Control and automated deployments to a shared development environment. Where I work we have a very large sample DB on our development tier to work with (a subset of our production data).
Recently I did some work to remove one column from a table and then add some extra ones on the end. I then had to undo my column removal so I re-added it on the end which means the table and all references are correct in the environment but the Source Control automated deployment will no longer work because it complains about the table definition changing.
The real problem here is that the table + indexes are ~120GB and the environment only has ~60GB free so I'll need to either:
a) Rename the existing columns which are in the wrong order, add new columns in the right order, update the data then drop the old columns
OR
b) Rename the table, create a new table with the correct order, insert to the new table from the old and delete from the old as I go along
The SSMS/TFS Schema compare option of using a temp table won't work because there isn't enough room on disc to do it.
I'm not trying to say this is the best way to go about things or that column order really matters, just that I have a scenario where it is an issue and I'm sharing the options I've thought of to fix the issue
SQL query to change the id column into first:
ALTER TABLE `student` CHANGE `id` `id` INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT FIRST;
or by using:
ALTER TABLE `student` CHANGE `id` `id` INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT AFTER 'column_name'

SQL code to copy data from 1 database table to another

I have messed up the data. I have been ammended ids and values to the point where i cannot remember what the originals were. (testing a few things).
I have a table called query_string_interpretation and its part of the DB called, test1_db
I have a backup database which i have restored called, test2_db
How can I restore its contents from one database table to another?
Without more information on your part...generally you can use INSERT INTO/SELECT FROM to move data between tables.
The syntax is roughly:
INSERT INTO
test1_db..query_string_interpretation ( <your columns here>)
select <your columns here>
FROM test2_db..query_string_interpretation
At first, you need to be sure that you have all your data in source table, or data is placed in both tables - source and destination. In first case you need to truncate the destination table:
TRUNCATE TABLE test1_db..query_string_interpretation
Second, you need to be sure that you will insert the right values into IDENTITY fields, if these fields exists. Use SET INDENITY_INSERT ON statement.
Third, you need to insert the values:
insert into test1_db..query_string_interpretation
select * from test2_db..query_string_interpretation
And don't forget to switch the INDENITY_INSERT to OFF, you you switched it to ON in the second step.
You can use a SQL wizard to do this for you. In Management Studio, right click on either database, select Tasks then Import Data... or Export Data...
try this:
delete from test1_db..query_string_interpretation
insert into test1_db..query_string_interpretation
select * from test2_db..query_string_interpretation
if you have an identity field you may have to write the name of the columns (except for the identity one). if you need to keep the IDs, take a look at the SET IDENTITY_INSERT ON statement here

Add a column to specific position in MSSQL Server

ALTER TABLE Log ADD log_id bigint IDENTITY BEFORE cust_id_fk
The above code adds a new column to last position. I want it to be added to the first position. Also I want to make it as Primary Key.
You would need to drop the table and recreate it with the columns in the correct order. If you make the table changes in SSMS then it can generate a change script for you which you could then use to deploy the change to a production server.
Even if the question is old, a more accurate about Management Studio would be required.
You can create the column manually or with Management Studio. But Management Studio will require to recreate the table and will result in a time out if you have too much data in it already, avoid unless the table is light.
To change the order of the columns you simply need to move them around in Management Studio. This should not require (Exceptions most likely exists) that Management Studio to recreate the table since it most likely change the ordination of the columns in the table definitions.
I've done it this way on numerous occasion with tables that I could not add columns with the GUI because of the data in them. Then moved the columns around with the GUI of Management Studio and simply saved them.
You will go from an assured time out to a few seconds of waiting.
In MSSMS select the table in the object explorer. Right click and select modify.
That will bring a new tab where you can drag the columns into a new default order.
Save and presto! Done.
Steps:
Rename the original table to tablename_temp
create a new table containing the new column
insert into tablename select * from tablename_temp
recreate foreign keys and other constraint on the new table
Short answer: It's not possible.
But you may try these steps:
Right click table name on object explorer
Click tasks
Click drop and create table
Add your columns in the position you want to add them
If you have data. Copy the data and paste it on an Excel spreadsheet, edit the spreadsheet to include new columns,edit top 100 rows and paste the data back into the table.
Goodluck
According to Change Column Order in a Table, this operation is not supported using the Transact-SQL statement.
You have to create another table and copy the data. But have a look at "ordinal position" and try to update it ?
SELECT
ORDINAL_POSITION
,COLUMN_NAME
,DATA_TYPE
,CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH
,IS_NULLABLE
,COLUMN_DEFAULT
FROM
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE
TABLE_NAME = 'Product'
ORDER BY
ORDINAL_POSITION ASC;
Primary key is another question for which you may find lots of answers.

What is the equivalent of 'CREATE TABLE ... LIKE ..." in SQL Server

I am working with SQL Server (I am a SQL Server noob) and trying to alter a table. I want to CREATE TABLE LIKE to safely store data while I drop keys and constraints and all the other rigamorole that SQL Server seems to require when altering on the original table but I have not been able to find a match to that command...
you want to recreate the same structure?
how about this
SELECT *
into test
FROM myRealTable
where 0=1
no data will be inserted into the new table
You can do
SELECT * INTO #MyTable_tmp FROM MyTable
Then modify your MyTable, and copy your data back in. Other approaches I've seen is to create a new table call it Mytable_Tmp (Not a temp table), which will be your new table.
Then copy your data doing any migrations you need. Then you will drop the original table and do a rename on Mytable.
Or you can get one of the many excellant tools that compare databases and generate difference scripts or VSTS DB Edition (Comes with developer) and you can do a diff script from a project file to a DB.
Edit
When you run SELECT * INTO #MyTable FROM MyTable, SQL Server creates a new temporary table called #MyTable that matches each column and data type from your select clause. In this case we are selecting * so it will match MyTable. This only creates the columns it doesn't copy defaults, constraints indexes or anything else.

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