Retrieve column descriptions from SQL Server-linked table in MS Access - sql-server

Question

I am linking to tables in SQL Server from an MS Access front-end. There are column descriptions for some of the tables in SQL Server that I would like to bring forward when I create the linked tables in Access. Is there a way to get at the column descriptions programmatically?
(I know how to append the description to the linked tables, I just need help getting at the descriptions in the back end.)

Answer 1

Try something like:
DECLARE #TableName varchar(100)
SELECT #TableName = 'yourtablename'
-- This will determine if we're using version 9 (2005) of SQL Server, and execute code accordingly
IF CAST(REPLACE(SUBSTRING(CAST(SERVERPROPERTY('productversion') as varchar),1,2), '.','') as int) >= 9
BEGIN
-- This is a SQL 2005 machine
SELECT
[Table Name] = OBJECT_NAME(c.object_id),
[Column Name] = c.name,
[Description] = ex.value
FROM
sys.columns c
LEFT OUTER JOIN
sys.extended_properties ex
ON
ex.major_id = c.object_id
AND ex.minor_id = c.column_id
AND ex.name = 'MS_Description'
WHERE
OBJECTPROPERTY(c.object_id, 'IsMsShipped')=0
AND OBJECT_NAME(c.object_id) = #TableName
ORDER
BY OBJECT_NAME(c.object_id), c.column_id
END
ELSE
BEGIN
-- assume this is a SQL 2000
SELECT
[Table Name] = i_s.TABLE_NAME,
[Column Name] = i_s.COLUMN_NAME,
[Description] = s.value
FROM
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS i_s
LEFT OUTER JOIN
sysproperties s
ON
s.id = OBJECT_ID(i_s.TABLE_SCHEMA+'.'+i_s.TABLE_NAME)
AND s.smallid = i_s.ORDINAL_POSITION
AND s.name = 'MS_Description'
WHERE
OBJECTPROPERTY(OBJECT_ID(i_s.TABLE_SCHEMA+'.'+i_s.TABLE_NAME), 'IsMsShipped')=0
AND i_s.TABLE_NAME = #TableName
ORDER BY
i_s.TABLE_NAME, i_s.ORDINAL_POSITION
END