How can I get column names from a table in SQL Server?

You can retrieve column names (and other metadata) from a table in SQL Server using system catalog views, specifically sys.columns and sys.tables. Below is a straightforward query that lists column names for a given table:

SELECT 
    c.name AS ColumnName,
    t.name AS TableName
FROM sys.columns c
JOIN sys.tables t
    ON c.object_id = t.object_id
WHERE t.name = 'YourTableName'  -- Replace with your table name
ORDER BY c.column_id;

Explanation

sys.columns: Stores one row for each column in every user table (and views, system tables, etc.) in the database.
sys.tables: Holds metadata about user-defined tables.
JOIN Condition: Matching c.object_id to t.object_id links columns to their corresponding table.
Filtering by Table Name: The WHERE t.name = 'YourTableName' clause specifies which table’s columns to return.
Sorting: The optional ORDER BY c.column_id returns columns in the order they are defined in the table schema.

Alternative Approaches

sp_help:
```
EXEC sp_help 'YourTableName';
```
This system-stored procedure gives detailed information, including column names, data types, and constraints for the specified table.

Information Schema:

SELECT 
    COLUMN_NAME, 
    DATA_TYPE 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'YourTableName'
ORDER BY ORDINAL_POSITION;

The INFORMATION_SCHEMA views are part of the SQL standard and can be used in many SQL dialects, including SQL Server.

Each approach provides insight into columns, data types, and other table properties. Choose the one that fits your use case or adheres to your team’s best practices.

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