sys.syscolumns (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
Analytics Platform System (PDW)
SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric
Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric
Returns one row for every column in every table and view, and a row for each parameter in a stored procedure in the database.
Important
This SQL Server 2000 system table is included as a view for backward compatibility. We recommend that you use the current SQL Server system views instead. To find the equivalent system view or views, see Mapping System Tables to System Views (Transact-SQL). This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.
| Column name | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| name | sysname | Name of the column or procedure parameter. |
| id | int | Object ID of the table to which this column belongs, or the ID of the stored procedure with which this parameter is associated. |
| xtype | tinyint | Physical storage type from sys.types. |
| typestat | tinyint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| xusertype | smallint | ID of extended user-defined data type. Overflows or returns NULL if the number of data types exceeds 32,767. |
| length | smallint | Maximum physical storage length from sys.types. |
| xprec | tinyint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| xscale | tinyint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| colid | smallint | Column or parameter ID. |
| xoffset | smallint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| bitpos | tinyint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| reserved | tinyint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| colstat | smallint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| cdefault | int | ID of the default for this column. |
| domain | int | ID of the rule or CHECK constraint for this column. |
| number | smallint | Subprocedure number when the procedure is grouped. 0 = Nonprocedure entries |
| colorder | smallint | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| autoval | varbinary(8000) | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| offset | smallint | Offset into the row in which this column appears. |
| collationid | int | ID of the collation of the column. NULL for noncharacter-based columns. |
| status | tinyint | Bitmap used to describe a property of the column or the parameter: 0x08 = Column allows null values. 0x10 = ANSI padding was in effect when varchar or varbinary columns were added. Trailing blanks are preserved for varchar and trailing zeros are preserved for varbinary columns. 0x40 = Parameter is an OUTPUT parameter. 0x80 = Column is an identity column. |
| type | tinyint | Physical storage type from sys.types. |
| usertype | smallint | ID of user-defined data type from sys.types. Overflows or returns NULL if the number of data types exceeds 32,767. |
| printfmt | varchar(255) | Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed. |
| prec | smallint | Level of precision for this column. -1 = xml or large value type. |
| scale | int | Scale for this column. NULL = Data type is nonnumeric. |
| iscomputed | int | Flag indicating whether the column is computed: 0 = Noncomputed 1 = Computed |
| isoutparam | int | Indicates whether the procedure parameter is an output parameter: 1 = True 0 = False |
| isnullable | int | Indicates whether the column allows null values: 1 = True 0 = False |
| collation | sysname | Name of the collation of the column. NULL if not a character-based column. |
See Also
Mapping System Tables to System Views (Transact-SQL)
Compatibility Views (Transact-SQL)