sp_depends (Transact-SQL)
Displays information about database object dependencies, such as: the views and procedures that depend on a table or view, and the tables and views that are depended on by the view or procedure. References to objects outside the current database are not reported.
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Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions
Syntax
sp_depends [ @objname = ] '<object>'
<object> ::=
{
[ database_name. [ schema_name ] . | schema_name.
object_name
}
Arguments
- database_name
Is the name of the database.
- schema_name
Is the name of the schema to which the object belongs.
- object_name
Is the database object to examine for dependencies. The object can be a table, view, stored procedure, user-defined function, or trigger. object_name is nvarchar(776), with no default.
Return Code Values
0 (success) or 1 (failure)
Result Sets
sp_depends displays two result sets.
The following result set shows the objects on which <object> depends.
| Column name | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name |
nvarchar(257) |
Name of the item for which a dependency exists. |
type |
nvarchar(16) |
Type of the item. |
updated |
nvarchar(7) |
Whether the item is updated. |
selected |
nvarchar(8) |
Whether the item is used in a SELECT statement. |
column |
sysname |
Column or parameter on which the dependency exists. |
The following result set shows the objects that depend on <object>.
| Column name | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name |
nvarchar(257) |
Name of the item for which a dependency exists. |
type |
nvarchar(16) |
Type of the item. |
Remarks
An object that references another object is considered dependent on that object. sp_depends determines the dependencies by looking at the sys.sql_dependencies catalog view.
Permissions
Requires membership in the public role.
Examples
A. Listing dependencies on a table
The following example lists the database objects that depend on the Sales.Customer table in the AdventureWorks database. Both the schema name and table name are specified.
USE AdventureWorks
GO
EXEC sp_depends @objname = N'Sales.Customer' ;
Here is the result set.
In the current database, the specified object references the following:
Name type updated selected column
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dbo.ufnLeadingZeros scalar function no no NULL
Sales.Customer user table no no CustomerID
In the current database, the specified object is referenced by the following:
name type
------------------------------- ----------------
Sales.CK_Customer_CustomerType check cns
Sales.Customer user table
Sales.vIndividualCustomer view
Sales.vStoreWithDemographics view
B. Listing dependencies on a trigger
The following example lists the database objects on which the trigger iWorkOrder depends.
EXEC sp_depends @objname = N'AdventureWorks.Production.iWorkOrder' ;
See Also
Reference
Database Engine Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)
EXECUTE (Transact-SQL)
sp_help (Transact-SQL)
System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)
sys.sql_dependencies (Transact-SQL)
Other Resources
Understanding SQL Dependencies