Working with Columns

You can edit the column properties for tables directly in the database diagram or Table Designer. For details about which properties are available in your database, see your database documentation.

Note

A new version of Table Designer appears for databases in the SQL Server 2012 format. This topic describes the old version of Table Designer, which you use with databases in earlier formats of SQL Server.

In the new version, you can change a table definition through a graphical interface or directly in a script pane. If you use the graphical interface, the table’s definition is automatically updated in the script pane. To apply the SQL code in the script pane, choose the Update button. For more information about the new version, see How to: Create Database Objects Using Table Designer.

In This Section

• How to: Insert Columns into Tables
  Provides steps for adding columns to a database table.

• How to: Delete Columns from a Table
  Provides steps for deleting columns from a database table.

• Modifying Columns (Visual Database Tools)
  Briefly describes the features for modifying columns and provides a list of links to specific instructional topics.

• How to: Rename Columns
  Provides steps for renaming columns and describes the effects of renaming columns on your database.

• How to: Copy Columns from One Table to Another
  Provides steps for copying the definition of a table, such as its column names and their properties, and provides steps for copying both the definition and the data of those columns.

• How to: Create Matching Foreign and Primary Keys
  Provides steps for copying a Primary Key's column definition to another table in order to create matching columns for a relationship.

• How to: Show Column Properties
  Describes how to set or edit the column properties that defines the column for a database table.

• How to: Set Column Collation
  Describes how to set the language that will be used to sort columns.

Reference

• Reference (Visual Database Tools)
  Provides links to general reference topics covering queries, operators, search conditions, specific DBMS requirements, user interface reference topics, and error message topics.

Related Sections

• Working with Tables in Table Designer
  Provides a brief overview of the table features and provides links to more detailed topics on how to work with tables.