Question

Using SQL Server and T-SQL, how can I update ALL tables tables with a specific name but different schemas under the same database?

:Update:

The updates include adding/deleting/modifying columns as well as changing specific values of rows.

I want to be able to deploy changes to a table across all schemas. Using the SQL Server Management Studio table designer, when I do a change and save, it allows me to save a script that can be used to deploy those changes to a different table. I want to be able to use that script on all tables with that specific name across all schemas.

:Update 2:

There reason for this request is that I want to ensure that updating a specific table across multiple schemas is easy to do. In the future, my application will undoubtedly change and if I see that it is difficult or inefficient to update schemas then I will opt to use something else.

Below is what I tried:

DECLARE @update_sql NVARCHAR(max)
DECLARE @table_name VARCHAR(45)

DECLARE c_tables CURSOR FOR
  SELECT t.table_name
    FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES t
   WHERE t.table_name = 'TestTable'
     AND t.table_catalog = 'MyDataBase'

OPEN c_tables
FETCH c_tables INTO @table_name

WHILE @@Fetch_Status = 0
BEGIN

  SET @update_sql = N'ALTER TABLE '+@table_name+' ADD ColumnThree nvarchar(50) NULL'
  EXEC sp_executesql @update_sql

END

CLOSE c_tables
DEALLOCATE c_tables

Running this generates the following error:

Cannot find the object “TestTable” because it does not exist or you do not have permissions.

The table exists and I’am running under dbo which is the schema owner.

I also noticed the query takes sometime to run even with only 7 tables in the database and 3 schemas used on those tables. Would it be more efficient to just login with each schema’s owner and run a generic script? Each schema owner would only have access to their respective schema and tables.

Answer 1

On SQL Server 2005+, you can use INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES to get a list of tables within a database:

SELECT t.table_name,
       t.table_schema
  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES t
 WHERE t.table_name = 'Table_1'
   AND t.table_catalog = 'your_database'

But you didn’t specify what updating you need – DML or DDL…

Update

DECLARE @update_sql NVARCHAR(max)
DECLARE @table_name VARCHAR(45)

DECLARE c_tables CURSOR FOR
  SELECT t.table_name
    FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES t
   WHERE t.table_name = 'Table_1'
     AND t.table_catalog = 'your_database'

OPEN c_tables
FETCH c_tables INTO @table_name

WHILE @@Fetch_Status = 0
BEGIN

  SET @update_sql = N'UPDATE @table_name SET ...'
  EXEC sp_executesql @update_sql

  SET @update_sql = N'ALTER TABLE @table_name ...'
  EXEC sp_executesql @update_sql

END

CLOSE c_tables
DEALLOCATE c_tables