comparing 2 similar table's data types for any differences

is the following method efficient/correct in making sure to see if any data type changes have occured, since a table was replicated (basically same schema with diff name) in the same database.

example:
tblTrackerSanctionJobs, and then another table tblTrackerSanctionJobs_history was created with same schema. There are 100+ columns - just want to check if all the datatypes align and are the same, and there are not extra and less columns (basically any changes to schema)..

the below uses the 2005 command 'except'

thanks.

(SELECT     TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE, 
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE, 
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG, 
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
FROM         INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE     (TABLE_NAME = 'tblTrackerSanctionJobs')) 

EXCEPT

(SELECT     TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE, 
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE, 
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG, 
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
FROM         INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE     (TABLE_NAME = 'tblTrackerSanctionJobs_history'))

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Microsoft SQL Server

Last Comment

anushahanna

8/22/2022 - Mon

cyberkiwi

9/10/2010

This is probably better.
EXCEPT only gives one side of the story, i.e. data from the first (changed/does not exist in 2)

select SOURCE_TABLE=MAX(SOURCE_TABLE), TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from
(
select SOURCE_TABLE='tblTrackerSanctionJobs',TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from information_schema.columns
where table_name='tblTrackerSanctionJobs'
union all
select 'tblTrackerSanctionJobs_history',TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from information_schema.columns
where table_name='tblTrackerSanctionJobs_history'
) X
group by TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
having count(*)=1
order by 4,1

anushahanna

9/10/2010

ASKER

very nice logic, Richard-

now, i was testing that code : when I change data type or add new columns in one of the tables, it brings them back.

But if I delete a column from one of the table, it brings lot more records.

to show my point: please see the code below


CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Test1](
	[ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
	[Value] [numeric](4, 1) NOT NULL,
	[Standard] [bit] NOT NULL,
	[Active] [bit] NOT NULL,
	[CreatedBy] [varchar](100) NOT NULL,
	[CreatedOn] [datetime] NOT NULL,
	[CreatedAt] [varchar](100) NOT NULL
)


CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Test2](
	[ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
	[Value] [numeric](4, 1) NOT NULL,
	[Standard] [bit] NOT NULL,
	[Active] [bit] NOT NULL,
	[CreatedBy] [varchar](100) NOT NULL,
	[CreatedOn] [datetime] NOT NULL,
	[CreatedAt] [varchar](100) NOT NULL
)

ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Test2] DROP COLUMN [Active]

select distinct SOURCE_TABLE=MAX(SOURCE_TABLE), TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from
(
select SOURCE_TABLE='Test1',TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from information_schema.columns
where table_name='Test1'
union all
select 'Test2',TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
from information_schema.columns
where table_name='Test2'
) X
group by TABLE_CATALOG, TABLE_SCHEMA, COLUMN_NAME, ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_DEFAULT, IS_NULLABLE, DATA_TYPE,
                      CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH, CHARACTER_OCTET_LENGTH, NUMERIC_PRECISION, NUMERIC_PRECISION_RADIX, NUMERIC_SCALE,
                      DATETIME_PRECISION, CHARACTER_SET_CATALOG, CHARACTER_SET_SCHEMA, CHARACTER_SET_NAME, COLLATION_CATALOG,
                      COLLATION_SCHEMA, COLLATION_NAME, DOMAIN_CATALOG, DOMAIN_SCHEMA, DOMAIN_NAME
having count(*)=1
order by 4,1

DROP TABLE [dbo].[Test1]

DROP TABLE [dbo].[Test2]