syscolumns

  • Folks,

    Say I have a table with columns, colA, colB, colC and colD and there are 20 rows in my table. I want to write a sort of dynamic script to show me a count of non-null columns.

    The result set would look something like

    colA 5

    colB 20

    colC 10

    colD 1

    This example would show that each row had colb populated in each of the 20 rows.

    I know I could write a select that would generate some individual sql statements using syscolumns.name and syscolumns.id and I could then execute each of those statements but is there a way to do this more neatly ?

  • Better would be to use the information schema views.

    Keep in mind that sql2005 only show object definitions you are granted to view.

    (view definition granted)

    Is this what you're looking for ?

    SELECT CASE t1.[ORDINAL_POSITION] WHEN 1 THEN 'SELECT ' ELSE ' , ' end

    + ' count( distinct ['+ t1.[COLUMN_NAME] + '] ) as [Count_distinct_' + t1.[COLUMN_NAME] + '_'

    + CASE t1.[ORDINAL_POSITION] WHEN t2.[MAX_ORDINAL_POSITION] THEN ' from [' + t1.[TABLE_SCHEMA] + '].[' + t1.[TABLE_NAME] + '] ;' ELSE ' ' end

    FROM [INFORMATION_SCHEMA].[COLUMNS] t1

    INNER JOIN

    ( SELECT [TABLE_NAME], [TABLE_SCHEMA], MAX([ORDINAL_POSITION]) AS MAX_ORDINAL_POSITION

    FROM [INFORMATION_SCHEMA].[COLUMNS]

    GROUP BY [TABLE_NAME], [TABLE_SCHEMA]

    )t2

    ON t1.[TABLE_NAME] = t2.[TABLE_NAME]

    AND t1.[TABLE_SCHEMA] = t2.[TABLE_SCHEMA]

    WHERE t1.[TABLE_NAME] = 'mytable'

    ORDER BY t1.[TABLE_NAME], t1.[TABLE_SCHEMA], t1.[ORDINAL_POSITION]

    Johan

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  • Sorry ALZDBA - I am only on sqlserver2000 !

    Liked the bike on yor profile pic !

    😎

  • Please post SQL 2000-related questions in the SQL 2000 forums. If you post in the 2005 forums, you're very likely to get 2005-specific solutions.

    The Information schema exists in 2000 as well, and looks the same as it does in 2005.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • apologies - just noticed it was the 2005 forum

  • Continued here - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic630987-169-1.aspx

    No more replies to this thread please.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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