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Transact-SQL User's Guide

Chapter 7 Creating Databases and Tables

Chapter 7

Creating Databases and Tables

This chapter describes how to create databases and tables.

For information on managing databases, see the System Administration Guide.

What are databases and tables?

Enforcing data integrity in databases

Permissions within databases

Using and creating databases

Choosing a database: use

Creating a user database: create database

Altering the sizes of databases

Dropping databases

Creating tables

Maximum number of columns per table

Example of creating a table

Choosing table names

create table syntax

Allowing null values

Using IDENTITY columns

Using temporary tables

Creating tables in different databases

Managing identity gaps in tables

Parameters for controlling identity gaps

Comparison of identity burning set factor and identity_gap

Setting the table-specific identity gap

Changing the table-specific identity gap

Displaying table-specific identity gap information

Gaps due to insertions, deletions, identity grab size, and rollbacks

If table inserts reach the IDENTITY column's maximum value

Defining integrity constraints for tables

Specifying table-level or column-level constraints

Creating error messages for constraints

After creating a check constraint

Specifying default column values

Specifying unique and primary key constraints

Specifying referential integrity constraints

Specifying check constraints

Designing applications that use referential integrity

How to design and create a table

Make a design sketch

Create the user-defined datatypes

Choose the columns that accept null values

Define the table

Creating new tables from query results: select into

Checking for errors

Using select into with IDENTITY columns

Altering existing tables

Objects using select * do not list changes to table

Using alter table on remote tables

Adding columns

Dropping columns

Modifying columns

Adding, dropping, and modifying IDENTITY columns

Data copying

Modifying locking schemes and table schema

Altering columns with user defined datatypes

Errors and warnings from alter table

Renaming tables and other objects

Dropping tables

Assigning permissions to users

Getting information about databases and tables

Getting help on databases

Getting help on database objects