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Displaying the order of the columns of a table

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4

1

I created a table, and want to find the display the order of its columns.
Should I use the following query to display the info ordered by column_id?

select * from sys.columns c
where c.object_id = object_id('Customer')
order by column_id


create table dbo.Customer
(
 CustomerId int primary key,
 CustomerName varchar(255),
 CustomerAddress varchar(255),
 EnrollmentDate date
)

Reading Microsoft SQL Server documentation, I am seeing the information below, so want to be sure:

Column name Data type Description
----------- --------- ---------------------------------------------- 
column_id: int ID of the column. Is unique within the object.
 Column IDs might not be sequential.

sql-server sql-server-2016

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

asked Mar 26 at 20:24

user175410

add a comment | 

4

1

I created a table, and want to find the display the order of its columns.
Should I use the following query to display the info ordered by column_id?

select * from sys.columns c
where c.object_id = object_id('Customer')
order by column_id


create table dbo.Customer
(
 CustomerId int primary key,
 CustomerName varchar(255),
 CustomerAddress varchar(255),
 EnrollmentDate date
)

Reading Microsoft SQL Server documentation, I am seeing the information below, so want to be sure:

Column name Data type Description
----------- --------- ---------------------------------------------- 
column_id: int ID of the column. Is unique within the object.
 Column IDs might not be sequential.

sql-server sql-server-2016

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

asked Mar 26 at 20:24

user175410

add a comment | 

I created a table, and want to find the display the order of its columns.
Should I use the following query to display the info ordered by column_id?

select * from sys.columns c
where c.object_id = object_id('Customer')
order by column_id


create table dbo.Customer
(
 CustomerId int primary key,
 CustomerName varchar(255),
 CustomerAddress varchar(255),
 EnrollmentDate date
)

Reading Microsoft SQL Server documentation, I am seeing the information below, so want to be sure:

Column name Data type Description
----------- --------- ---------------------------------------------- 
column_id: int ID of the column. Is unique within the object.
 Column IDs might not be sequential.

sql-server sql-server-2016

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

asked Mar 26 at 20:24

user175410

select * from sys.columns c
where c.object_id = object_id('Customer')
order by column_id


create table dbo.Customer
(
 CustomerId int primary key,
 CustomerName varchar(255),
 CustomerAddress varchar(255),
 EnrollmentDate date
)

Column name Data type Description
----------- --------- ---------------------------------------------- 
column_id: int ID of the column. Is unique within the object.
 Column IDs might not be sequential.

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

asked Mar 26 at 20:24

user175410

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

asked Mar 26 at 20:24

user175410

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

edited Mar 26 at 21:31

MDCCL

6,88331845

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

8

column_id is a reasonable proxy for the column ordinal, since it is impossible to insert a column between two existing columns in SQL Server without dropping and recreating the table.

As the documentation states, column_id values may not be sequential if you drop a column from a table.

You can also make use of the COLUMNPROPERTY() function to return the actual ordinal for each column.

Consider a quick example:

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.t', N'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.t;
CREATE TABLE dbo.t
(
 c1 int
 , c2 int
 , c3 int
 , c4 int
);

ALTER TABLE dbo.t DROP COLUMN c1;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ADD c5 int;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ALTER COLUMN c2 char(3);

SELECT o.name
 , c.name
 , c.column_id
 , ordinal = COLUMNPROPERTY(c.object_id, c.name, 'ordinal')
FROM sys.columns c
 INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
WHERE o.name = N't'

The output looks like:

╔══════╦══════╦═══════════╦═════════╗
║ name ║ name ║ column_id ║ ordinal ║
╠══════╬══════╬═══════════╬═════════╣
║ t ║ c2 ║ 2 ║ 1 ║
║ t ║ c3 ║ 3 ║ 2 ║
║ t ║ c4 ║ 4 ║ 3 ║
║ t ║ c5 ║ 5 ║ 4 ║
╚══════╩══════╩═══════════╩═════════╝

share|improve this answer

edited Mar 26 at 20:43

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  thanks, can we assume column order will always go ascending order, so I if I delete columns, we get them sequenced in order, that's all I really care about, example : 1,3,4,7,8, (if we delete some columns?)
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 20:58
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  another interesting note, Ordinal is not in Microsoft documentation, wondering if they are trying to deprecate docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/functions/… , mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1298/…
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 21:03
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If they were trying to deprecate it, they'd add it to the deprecated features list. Most likely, it is undocumented by mere oversight. Either that, or they don't want to promote the idea of ordinals in a relational database where order only matters if you specify one explicitly.
  
  – Max Vernon
  Mar 27 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Just to propose an additional answer that will tell you the actual column position instead of column_id

select column_name, ORDINAL_POSITION 
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where table_name = 'your_table'

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

add a comment | 

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8

column_id is a reasonable proxy for the column ordinal, since it is impossible to insert a column between two existing columns in SQL Server without dropping and recreating the table.

As the documentation states, column_id values may not be sequential if you drop a column from a table.

You can also make use of the COLUMNPROPERTY() function to return the actual ordinal for each column.

Consider a quick example:

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.t', N'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.t;
CREATE TABLE dbo.t
(
 c1 int
 , c2 int
 , c3 int
 , c4 int
);

ALTER TABLE dbo.t DROP COLUMN c1;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ADD c5 int;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ALTER COLUMN c2 char(3);

SELECT o.name
 , c.name
 , c.column_id
 , ordinal = COLUMNPROPERTY(c.object_id, c.name, 'ordinal')
FROM sys.columns c
 INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
WHERE o.name = N't'

The output looks like:

╔══════╦══════╦═══════════╦═════════╗
║ name ║ name ║ column_id ║ ordinal ║
╠══════╬══════╬═══════════╬═════════╣
║ t ║ c2 ║ 2 ║ 1 ║
║ t ║ c3 ║ 3 ║ 2 ║
║ t ║ c4 ║ 4 ║ 3 ║
║ t ║ c5 ║ 5 ║ 4 ║
╚══════╩══════╩═══════════╩═════════╝

share|improve this answer

edited Mar 26 at 20:43

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  thanks, can we assume column order will always go ascending order, so I if I delete columns, we get them sequenced in order, that's all I really care about, example : 1,3,4,7,8, (if we delete some columns?)
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 20:58
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  another interesting note, Ordinal is not in Microsoft documentation, wondering if they are trying to deprecate docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/functions/… , mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1298/…
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 21:03
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If they were trying to deprecate it, they'd add it to the deprecated features list. Most likely, it is undocumented by mere oversight. Either that, or they don't want to promote the idea of ordinals in a relational database where order only matters if you specify one explicitly.
  
  – Max Vernon
  Mar 27 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

8

column_id is a reasonable proxy for the column ordinal, since it is impossible to insert a column between two existing columns in SQL Server without dropping and recreating the table.

As the documentation states, column_id values may not be sequential if you drop a column from a table.

You can also make use of the COLUMNPROPERTY() function to return the actual ordinal for each column.

Consider a quick example:

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.t', N'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.t;
CREATE TABLE dbo.t
(
 c1 int
 , c2 int
 , c3 int
 , c4 int
);

ALTER TABLE dbo.t DROP COLUMN c1;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ADD c5 int;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ALTER COLUMN c2 char(3);

SELECT o.name
 , c.name
 , c.column_id
 , ordinal = COLUMNPROPERTY(c.object_id, c.name, 'ordinal')
FROM sys.columns c
 INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
WHERE o.name = N't'

The output looks like:

╔══════╦══════╦═══════════╦═════════╗
║ name ║ name ║ column_id ║ ordinal ║
╠══════╬══════╬═══════════╬═════════╣
║ t ║ c2 ║ 2 ║ 1 ║
║ t ║ c3 ║ 3 ║ 2 ║
║ t ║ c4 ║ 4 ║ 3 ║
║ t ║ c5 ║ 5 ║ 4 ║
╚══════╩══════╩═══════════╩═════════╝

share|improve this answer

edited Mar 26 at 20:43

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  thanks, can we assume column order will always go ascending order, so I if I delete columns, we get them sequenced in order, that's all I really care about, example : 1,3,4,7,8, (if we delete some columns?)
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 20:58
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  another interesting note, Ordinal is not in Microsoft documentation, wondering if they are trying to deprecate docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/functions/… , mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1298/…
  
  – user175410
  Mar 26 at 21:03
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  If they were trying to deprecate it, they'd add it to the deprecated features list. Most likely, it is undocumented by mere oversight. Either that, or they don't want to promote the idea of ordinals in a relational database where order only matters if you specify one explicitly.
  
  – Max Vernon
  Mar 27 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

column_id is a reasonable proxy for the column ordinal, since it is impossible to insert a column between two existing columns in SQL Server without dropping and recreating the table.

As the documentation states, column_id values may not be sequential if you drop a column from a table.

You can also make use of the COLUMNPROPERTY() function to return the actual ordinal for each column.

Consider a quick example:

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.t', N'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.t;
CREATE TABLE dbo.t
(
 c1 int
 , c2 int
 , c3 int
 , c4 int
);

ALTER TABLE dbo.t DROP COLUMN c1;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ADD c5 int;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ALTER COLUMN c2 char(3);

SELECT o.name
 , c.name
 , c.column_id
 , ordinal = COLUMNPROPERTY(c.object_id, c.name, 'ordinal')
FROM sys.columns c
 INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
WHERE o.name = N't'

The output looks like:

╔══════╦══════╦═══════════╦═════════╗
║ name ║ name ║ column_id ║ ordinal ║
╠══════╬══════╬═══════════╬═════════╣
║ t ║ c2 ║ 2 ║ 1 ║
║ t ║ c3 ║ 3 ║ 2 ║
║ t ║ c4 ║ 4 ║ 3 ║
║ t ║ c5 ║ 5 ║ 4 ║
╚══════╩══════╩═══════════╩═════════╝

share|improve this answer

edited Mar 26 at 20:43

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.t', N'U') IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE dbo.t;
CREATE TABLE dbo.t
(
 c1 int
 , c2 int
 , c3 int
 , c4 int
);

ALTER TABLE dbo.t DROP COLUMN c1;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ADD c5 int;
ALTER TABLE dbo.t ALTER COLUMN c2 char(3);

SELECT o.name
 , c.name
 , c.column_id
 , ordinal = COLUMNPROPERTY(c.object_id, c.name, 'ordinal')
FROM sys.columns c
 INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
WHERE o.name = N't'

╔══════╦══════╦═══════════╦═════════╗
║ name ║ name ║ column_id ║ ordinal ║
╠══════╬══════╬═══════════╬═════════╣
║ t ║ c2 ║ 2 ║ 1 ║
║ t ║ c3 ║ 3 ║ 2 ║
║ t ║ c4 ║ 4 ║ 3 ║
║ t ║ c5 ║ 5 ║ 4 ║
╚══════╩══════╩═══════════╩═════════╝

share|improve this answer

edited Mar 26 at 20:43

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

answered Mar 26 at 20:34

Max VernonMax Vernon

52.7k13115232

2

Just to propose an additional answer that will tell you the actual column position instead of column_id

select column_name, ORDINAL_POSITION 
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where table_name = 'your_table'

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

add a comment | 

2

Just to propose an additional answer that will tell you the actual column position instead of column_id

select column_name, ORDINAL_POSITION 
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where table_name = 'your_table'

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

add a comment | 

Just to propose an additional answer that will tell you the actual column position instead of column_id

select column_name, ORDINAL_POSITION 
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where table_name = 'your_table'

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

select column_name, ORDINAL_POSITION 
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where table_name = 'your_table'

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619

answered Mar 26 at 20:38

PadwanPadwan

32619