How to generate SQL Server data dictionary from SQL script

Sure, you can use Visual Studio, or Toad, or a similar IDE to generate a data dictionary from an application. But what if you don't have those applications? Or what if you want a more universal way of generating a data dictionary? Then the following SQL script is for you.

This script will return the schema and table names as well as numerous column properties beyond just the column name. It also includes the column's ordinal position, whether or not it is a part of a primary key / foreign key / unique key, its data type and various length/size/precision components, whether or not it is nullable, and the description.

This short video walks you through downloading the script, executing it, pulling the metadata into an Excel file where it can easily be formatted to look pretty and shared with other team members via email.

------- Chapter Timestamps (click to jump forward): -----------------------------
0:00 - Intro
0:09 - Ever Needed to Troubleshoot What Schema Change Broke Your App?
0:39 - Demo: How to Download the Script
1:41 - Demo: How to Run the Script and Generate the Data Dictionary
3:31 - Demo: The Data Dictionary output in Excel
4:22 - The End

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#MSSQL #datadictionary #autogenerate

[shafiulamin]

Dangerously useful mate. Hope it still available in git.

[nagelfamily]

Great video. Spot on.
Seriously good howto President. What could help others is to describe the purpose for the data dictionary.

[santhanam]

Thank you very much, glad that I stumbled upon your channel.

[MichaelGibson]

Any quick tips on how to sort out the formatting? The vid jumps over that. Going table by table seems tedious...any quick solutions? Thanks! Great video.

[matthiasbarmettler]

Great video thx a lot! I still struggle to adapt the querry in such a way that the table schema is also queried, would you have any tips?

[oladepoolatunde]

Great video, it saves me, Please can you show how you format the table on excel?

[OdgeBodge]

amazing script just what i needed thank you so much

[Eknight]

Thanks Man. Could you please upload more vids for SQL server and dictionary update

[sandeepgour]

Great video, but I want to only single table data dictionary. This is position by this sql script

[beerana]

@DataResearchLabs Do have you a MSSQL Script to generate Tables, Functions, Stored procedure for PostgreSQL
Conversion of MSSQL table, views, functions and stored procedure into postgreSQL

[abhisheka]

Hey Thank you but this script is having some errors

Like Msg 10757, Level 15, State 1, Line 82
The function 'STRING_AGG' may not have a WITHIN GROUP clause.
Msg 10757, Level 15, State 1, Line 95
The function 'STRING_AGG' may not have a WITHIN GROUP clause.
Msg 156, Level 15, State 1, Line 115
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'AS'.



Please help

[jaymob]

is there a way to update a description through an update statement?

[macapagalglaizaangel]

Hello can you help me iam currently using the 2022 or 2023 version i am not sure hhahaha and there is an error like the STRING_AGG

[swatikumari-nute]

Gives error the function string_agg may not have a written group clause

[faizanmajid]

How to run this if you are working on SQL Server 2016? String_agg function is not supported on it...

[dubVintage]

Are you aware of a similar method for documenting SSIS packages?