How do I rename my constraints - sql-server

Question

I renamed a table in my database with
EXEC sp_rename 'tblOldAndBusted', 'tblNewAndShiny'
and all the foreign key constraints were updated to the new table name, but they're still named based on the old table name. For example, I now have FK_tblOldAndBusted_tblTastyData but I'd like to have FK_tblNewAndShiny_tblTastyData.
Is there an easy way to script this?
Also, am I being too anal? I know the database works fine with the old table name in the constraints, but it feels like broken windows.

Answer 1

Try:
exec sp_rename 'FK_tblOldAndBusted_tblTastyData', 'FK_tblNewAndShiny_tblTastyData', 'object'
Also, there is a bug regarding renaming such things when you deal with non-default schema.
Cannot rename a default constraint for a table in a schema which is not dbo by rsocol #Microsoft Connect

Answer 2

After some more digging, I found that it actually has to be in this form:
EXEC sp_rename N'schema.MyIOldConstraint', N'MyNewConstraint', N'OBJECT'
Source

Answer 3

I am not a big fan of cursors and this can be written much more simply.
DECLARE #SQLCmd varchar(MAX) = ''
SELECT
#SQLCmd += 'EXEC sp_rename ''' + dc.name + ''', ''DF' +
OBJECT_NAME( dc.parent_object_id ) + c.name + ''', ''OBJECT'';'
FROM
sys.default_constraints dc
JOIN sys.columns c
ON c.object_id = dc.parent_object_id
AND c.column_id = dc.parent_column_id
WHERE
dc.name != 'DF' + object_name( dc.parent_object_id ) + c.name
AND OBJECT_NAME( dc.parent_object_id ) != 'dtproperties'
EXEC( #SqlCmd )

Answer 4

If anyone is interested, I just had to rename all the default constraints for the an audit field named "EnteredDate"to a specific pattern. Update and replace as needed. I hope this helps and might be a starting point.
DECLARE #TableName VARCHAR(255), #ConstraintName VARCHAR(255)
DECLARE constraint_cursor CURSOR
FOR
select b.name, c.name from
sys.all_columns a
inner join
sys.tables b
on
a.object_id = b.object_id
inner join
sys.default_constraints c
on a.default_object_id = c.object_id
where
b.name <> 'sysdiagrams'
and a.name = 'EnteredDate' -- column name
and b.type = 'U'
OPEN constraint_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM constraint_cursor INTO #TableName, #ConstraintName
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
DECLARE #SqlScript VARCHAR(255) = ''
SET #SqlScript = 'sp_rename ' + #ConstraintName + ', ''DF_' + #TableName + '_EnteredDate'', ''object'''
EXEC(#SqlScript)
SELECT #TableName, #ConstraintName, 'DF_' + #TableName + '_EnteredDate', #SqlScript
FETCH NEXT FROM constraint_cursor INTO #TableName, #ConstraintName
END
CLOSE constraint_cursor;
DEALLOCATE constraint_cursor;

Answer 5

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-rename-transact-sql?view=sql-server-ver15
If the object to be renamed is a constraint, object_name must be in the form schema.constraint.
So the correct form is:
exec sp_rename 'schema.oldname','newname', 'object'
Prefix the oldname with the schema.
Do not prefix the newname with the schema...

Answer 6

If there are too many to rename, how about export to dump, edit the dump in any text editor of choice to replace the table name, and then restore from dump? I mean export the dump of only constraints, not all.

Answer 7

Based user906573's script. Generate a script to rename all defaults in the database. Useful for correcting constraints that weren't explicitly named at create time.
--
-- Generates a script to rename defaults to the pattern DF_tablename_columnname
--
DECLARE #TableName VARCHAR(255), #ConstraintName VARCHAR(255), #ColumnName varchar(255), #SchemaName varchar(255)
DECLARE constraint_cursor CURSOR
FOR
select b.name, c.name, a.name, sc.name
from sys.all_columns a
inner join sys.tables b on a.object_id = b.object_id
join sys.schemas sc on b.schema_id = sc.schema_id
inner join sys.default_constraints c on a.default_object_id = c.object_id
where
b.name <> 'sysdiagrams'
and b.type = 'U'
OPEN constraint_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM constraint_cursor INTO #TableName, #ConstraintName, #ColumnName, #SchemaName
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
DECLARE #SqlScript VARCHAR(255) = ''
SET #SqlScript = 'sp_rename ''' + #SchemaName + '.' + #ConstraintName + ''', ''' + #SchemaName + '.DF_' + #TableName + '_' + #ColumnName + ''', ''object''' + char(13) + char(10) + 'GO' + char(13) + char(10)
--EXEC(#SqlScript)
print #sqlscript
FETCH NEXT FROM constraint_cursor INTO #TableName, #ConstraintName, #ColumnName, #SchemaName
END
CLOSE constraint_cursor;
DEALLOCATE constraint_cursor;

Answer 8

I know this thread is a bit dated but I wanted to post my alternative to #foxfire's answer as I made some modifications to it. Made it take a smaller chunk of the names as I ran into database where there were so many renames it made the #sql truncate. I also added error handling to break out as well as schema names for handling different schemas other than dbo. I chose not to use a begin try so it could be used among multiple sql server versions. The where clause can be manipulated to fulfill the OP's original intent.
BEGIN TRAN
DECLARE #sql varchar(MAX) = '...'
WHILE LEN(#sql) > 0 BEGIN
SET #sql = '';
SELECT TOP 50 #sql = #sql
+ 'EXEC sp_rename N''' + SCHEMA_NAME(dc.[schema_id]) + '.' + dc.name
+ ''', N''DF_' + OBJECT_NAME(dc.parent_object_id) + '_' + c.name
+ ''', ''OBJECT'';' + CHAR(10)
FROM sys.default_constraints dc
inner join sys.columns c
ON c.object_id = dc.parent_object_id AND c.column_id = dc.parent_column_id
WHERE dc.name LIKE 'DF[_][_]%' -- rename any auto named defaults
PRINT #sql
EXEC(#sql)
IF ##ERROR <> 0 BEGIN
IF ##TRANCOUNT > 0 ROLLBACK TRAN
BREAK;
END
END
IF ##TRANCOUNT > 0 COMMIT TRAN
--IF ##TRANCOUNT > 0 ROLLBACK TRAN