How to view table structure and column details in SQL Server using queries?

I’m working with a SQL Server database and need to check the structure of my tables. Specifically, I want to see what columns exist in a table along with their data types and other properties. I know in some other database systems you can use commands like DESCRIBE or SHOW COLUMNS, but I’m not sure what the SQL Server equivalent would be. I’d rather use a SQL query instead of opening up Management Studio or other graphical tools every time I need this information. What’s the best way to query the database schema directly to get column information for a specific table? Are there system views or stored procedures that can help with this?

try sp_help 'your_table_name' - it’s a built-in proc that shows evrything about the table structure. way faster than writing full INFORMATION_SCHEMA queries. just dont forget quotes around the table name or it wont work.

System catalog views are your best bet here. Join sys.columns with sys.types to get all the column details you need. This query pulls column names, data types, max length, precision, scale, and nullability for any table: SELECT c.name, t.name AS data_type, c.max_length, c.precision, c.scale, c.is_nullable FROM sys.columns c INNER JOIN sys.types t ON c.user_type_id = t.user_type_id WHERE c.object_id = OBJECT_ID('your_table_name'). I prefer this over INFORMATION_SCHEMA views since it gives you direct access to SQL Server’s internal metadata and includes system-specific details that the standard views might miss.

hey! yeah, i agree with checking out INFORMATION_SCHEMA views. it’s super helpful for column details. are you familiar with using joins to grab info from multiple tables? would love to chat more about it!