Question

What is the best way to get the names of all of the tables in a specific database on SQL Server?

Answer 1

SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 or 2019:

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_TYPE='BASE TABLE' 

To show only tables from a particular database

SELECT TABLE_NAME  FROM [<DATABASE_NAME>].INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES  WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' 

Or,

SELECT TABLE_NAME  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES  WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'      AND TABLE_CATALOG='dbName' --(for MySql, use: TABLE_SCHEMA='dbName' ) 

PS: For SQL Server 2000:

SELECT * FROM sysobjects WHERE xtype='U'