在SQL Server中删除具有默认约束的列（IF EXISTS）

Question

I am writing a sql script for dropping column and a default constraint. The following script works fine but i like to know if it is a right way of doing it.

Can i drop a default constraint with a column in one statement instead of using two separate ones?

IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM dbo.sysobjects WHERE id = OBJECT_ID(N'[DF_Employees_EmpID]') AND type = 'D')

BEGIN    
   ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Employees] DROP CONSTRAINT [DF_Employees_EmpID]    
END    
GO    
BEGIN   
  ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Employees] DROP COLUMN [EmpID]    
END

Answer 1

In SQL Server 2005 upwards you can drop both the constraint and the column in one statement.

The syntax is

ALTER TABLE [ database_name . [ schema_name ] . | schema_name . ] table_name 
DROP { [ CONSTRAINT ] constraint_name | COLUMN column } [ ,...n ]

The emphasis is on [ ,...n ] , indicating multiple terms.

NB! Since the terms are processed sequentially, if the column being dropped is part of the constraint being dropped, then the constraint must be the first term, followed by the column term.

In your example:

ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Employees] DROP CONSTRAINT [DF_Employees_EmpID], COLUMN [EmpID]

So your code would be:

IF  EXISTS (SELECT * FROM dbo.sysobjects WHERE id = OBJECT_ID(N'[DF_Employees_EmpID]') AND type = 'D')
BEGIN
   ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Employees] DROP CONSTRAINT [DF_Employees_EmpID], COLUMN [EmpID]
END
GO

In SQL Server 2016 they have introduced the IF EXISTS clause which removes the need to check for the existence of the constraint first eg

ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Employees] DROP CONSTRAINT IF EXISTS [DF_Employees_EmpID], COLUMN IF EXISTS [EmpID]

Answer 2

Here is another way to drop a column & default constraints with checking if they exist before dropping them:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Drop COLUMN 
-- Name of Column: Column_EmployeeName 
-- Name of Table: table_Emplyee 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF EXISTS (
            SELECT 1
            FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
            WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'table_Emplyee'
              AND COLUMN_NAME = 'Column_EmployeeName'
           )
    BEGIN 

        IF EXISTS ( SELECT 1 
                    FROM sys.default_constraints 
                    WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID('[dbo].[DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName]') 
                      AND parent_object_id = OBJECT_ID('[dbo].[table_Emplyee]')
                  )
            BEGIN 
                ------  DROP Contraint

                ALTER TABLE [dbo].[table_Emplyee] DROP CONSTRAINT [DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName]
            PRINT '[DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName] was dropped'  
            END
     --    -----   DROP Column   -----------------------------------------------------------------    
        ALTER TABLE [dbo].table_Emplyee 
            DROP COLUMN Column_EmployeeName
        PRINT 'Column Column_EmployeeName in images table was dropped'    
    END  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- ADD  COLUMN Column_EmployeeName IN table_Emplyee table
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF NOT EXISTS (
                SELECT 1
                FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
                WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'table_Emplyee'
                  AND COLUMN_NAME = 'Column_EmployeeName'
               )
    BEGIN  
    ----- ADD Column & Contraint               
        ALTER TABLE dbo.table_Emplyee 
            ADD Column_EmployeeName BIT   NOT NULL 
            CONSTRAINT [DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName]  DEFAULT (0) 
        PRINT 'Column [DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName] in table_Emplyee table was Added' 
        PRINT 'Contraint [DF_table_Emplyee_Column_EmployeeName] was Added'      
     END

GO 

Answer 3

How you have it is fine.

An alternative would be

IF OBJECT_ID('DF_Employees_EmpID', 'D') IS NULL
  BEGIN
      ALTER TABLE dbo.Employees
        DROP COLUMN EmpID
  END
ELSE
  BEGIN
      ALTER TABLE dbo.Employees
        DROP CONSTRAINT DF_Employees_EmpID, 
                 COLUMN EmpID 
  END 

In the event that the constraint does exist this combines the two operations into a single statement/transaction.

Answer 4

Another solution:

DECLARE @TableName sysname,
        @Schema sysname,
        @colname sysname,
        @sql VARCHAR(1000)

SELECT @Schema = 'dbo',
       @TableName = 'mytable',
       @colname = 'mycol'


IF COL_LENGTH(@Schema+'.'+@TableName, @colname) IS NULL
BEGIN
    PRINT 'Column does not exist!'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
    SET @sql = ''
    SELECT @sql += N' ALTER TABLE ' + @TableName + ' DROP CONSTRAINT ' + default_constraints.name + ';'
    FROM sys.all_columns
        INNER JOIN sys.tables
            ON all_columns.object_id = TABLES.object_id
        INNER JOIN sys.schemas
            ON TABLES.schema_id = schemas.schema_id
        INNER JOIN sys.default_constraints
            ON all_columns.default_object_id = default_constraints.object_id
    WHERE schemas.name = @Schema
          AND tables.name = @TableName
          AND all_columns.name = @colname


    SET @sql += N' ALTER TABLE ' + @TableName + ' DROP COLUMN ' + @colname + ';'




    PRINT ISNULL(@sql, 'NULL')

       EXECUTE(@sql)


END