Custom SSMS Shortcuts for ETL Developer. Part 2: Extended Properties

By Olga Klimova, 2011/09/27

Quick access to extended properties of a table can be helpful if:

You record metadata information, such as source-target data mapping, into the extended properties of SQL Server tables and need to refer to this information quickly.
You are a data warehouse developer and use Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook as your data modeling tool.

Follow the next procedure to set up your SQL Server Management Studio environment and use the shortcut.

1. Create a stored procedure

Create a stored procedure that returns extended table properties:

CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.sp_ViewTableExtendedProperties

@tablename nvarchar(255)

declare @cmd NVARCHAR (255)

SET @cmd = 'SELECT objtype, objname, name, value FROM fn_listextendedproperty (NULL, ''schema'', ''dbo'', ''table'', ''' + @TABLENAME + ''', ''column'', default);'

EXEC sp_executesql @cmd

2. Assign a shortcut key to the sp_ViewTableExtendedProperties stored procedure

In SSMS Tools/Options dialog box, assign the stored procedure to a keyboard shortcut:

SSMS Tools/Options dialog box keyboard shortcut mapping

3. Invoke extended table properties in a keystroke

First, drag table name from SSMS Object Explorer to Query Editor. Then, select the table and press Ctrl+3 to receive a list of extended properties of the table:

The result set: a list of extended properties of the table

Tip: Use Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook as your data modeling tool

This approach is especially effective if you use the Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook developed by Kimball Group for your data modeling. The Microsoft Excel workbook generates SQL Server CREATE TABLE scripts. The result script includes commands that write source-target mapping information into extended properties of table columns.

	Source
Column Name	Source System	Source Schema	Source Table	Source Field Name	Source Datatype
EmployeeKey	Derived
BKEmployeeID	AW	HumanResources	Employee	EmployeeId	Int
NationalIDNumber	AW	HumanResources	Employee	NationalIdNumber	nvarchar(15)
EmployeeIDName	AW	HumanResources	Employee	several
EmployeeFullName	Derived	Person	Contact	several
EmployeeFirstName	AW	Person	Contact	FirstName	nvarchar(50)

An example of Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook sheet that maps each DW table column to its source

--Column extended properties exec sys.sp_addextendedproperty @name=N'Description', @value=N'Account Number from the transaction system', @level0type=N'SCHEMA', @level0name=N'dbo', @level1type=N'TABLE', @level1name=N'DimCustomer', @level2type=N'COLUMN', @level2name=N'AccountNumber'; exec sys.sp_addextendedproperty @name=N'Source Table', @value=N'Customer', @level0type=N'SCHEMA', @level0name=N'dbo', @level1type=N'TABLE', @level1name=N'DimCustomer', @level2type=N'COLUMN', @level2name=N'AccountNumber'; exec sys.sp_addextendedproperty @name=N'Source Field Name', @value=N'AccountNumber', @level0type=N'SCHEMA', @level0name=N'dbo', @level1type=N'TABLE', @level1name=N'DimCustomer', @level2type=N'COLUMN', @level2name=N'AccountNumber';

An extract from a script generated by Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook that sets extended properties to a table column

Benefits of Calling Extended Properties in a Keystroke

By applying the technique described earlier, you can quickly:

Troubleshoot data problems
Resolve data quality issues
Refer to source metadata to write effective data transformation queries for your ETL processes
Determine impact of source data changes on your data warehouse structures and communicate this to application development team

This is the second in a series of tips for the ETL developer. The first one is here.

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Custom SSMS Shortcuts for ETL Developer. Part 2: Extended Properties

1. Create a stored procedure

2. Assign a shortcut key to the sp_ViewTableExtendedProperties stored procedure

3. Invoke extended table properties in a keystroke

Tip: Use Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook as your data modeling tool

Benefits of Calling Extended Properties in a Keystroke

extended property for all columns of all tables

Data Warehouse - Dimensional Model vs Relational Model

Extended Properties Introduction

Modifying and deleting extended properties

Extracting Extended Properties

Join the most active online SQL Server Community

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Custom SSMS Shortcuts for ETL Developer. Part 2: Extended Properties

1. Create a stored procedure

2. Assign a shortcut key to the sp_ViewTableExtendedProperties stored procedure

3. Invoke extended table properties in a keystroke

Tip: Use Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit dimensional modeling workbook as your data modeling tool

Benefits of Calling Extended Properties in a Keystroke

extended property for all columns of all tables

Data Warehouse - Dimensional Model vs Relational Model

Extended Properties Introduction

Modifying and deleting extended properties

Extracting Extended Properties

Join the most active online SQL Server Community

SQL knowledge, delivered daily, free:

You make SSC a better place

Already a member? Jump in: