SQL Server - script to update database columns from varchar to nvarchar if not already nvarchar
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05-07-2019 - |
Question
I am in a situation where I must update an existing database structure from varchar to nvarchar using a script. Since this script is run everytime a configuration application is run, I would rather determine if a column has already been changed to nvarchar and not perform an alter on the table. The databases which I must support are SQL Server 2000, 2005 and 2008.
Solution
The following query should get you what you need:
IF EXISTS
(SELECT *
FROM sysobjects syo
JOIN syscolumns syc ON
syc.id = syo.id
JOIN systypes syt ON
syt.xtype = syc.xtype
WHERE
syt.name = 'nvarchar' AND
syo.name = 'MY TABLE NAME' AND
syc.name = 'MY COLUMN NAME')
BEGIN
ALTER ...
END
OTHER TIPS
You can run the following script which will give you a set of ALTER commands:
SELECT 'ALTER TABLE ' + isnull(schema_name(syo.id), 'dbo') + '.' + syo.name
+ ' ALTER COLUMN ' + syc.name + ' NVARCHAR(' + case syc.length when -1 then 'MAX'
ELSE convert(nvarchar(10),syc.length) end + ');'
FROM sysobjects syo
JOIN syscolumns syc ON
syc.id = syo.id
JOIN systypes syt ON
syt.xtype = syc.xtype
WHERE
syt.name = 'varchar'
and syo.xtype='U'
There are, however, a couple of quick caveats for you.
- This will only do tables. You'll want to scan all of your sprocs and functions to make sure they are changed to
NVARCHAR
as well. - If you have a
VARCHAR
> 4000 you will need to modify it to beNVARCHAR(MAX)
But those should be easily doable with this template.
If you want this to run automagically you can set it in a WHILE
clause.
The issue with Josef's answer is that it would change NOT NULL
fields to NULL
after executing the queries. The following manipulation fixes it:
SELECT cmd = 'alter table [' + c.table_schema + '].[' + c.table_name
+ '] alter column [' + c.column_name + '] nvarchar('
+CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH<=4000
THEN CAST(CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH as varchar(10)) ELSE 'max' END+')'
+ CASE WHEN IS_NULLABLE='NO' THEN ' NOT NULL' ELSE '' END,*
FROM information_schema.columns c
WHERE c.data_type='varchar'
ORDER BY CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH desc
Credits to Igor's answer
Fixed the space issue and added schema
SELECT 'ALTER TABLE [' + isnull(schema_name(syo.object_id), sysc.name) + '].[' + syo.name
+ '] ALTER COLUMN ' + syc.name + ' NVARCHAR(' + case syc.max_length when -1 then 'MAX'
ELSE convert(nvarchar(10),syc.max_length) end + ');'
FROM sys.objects syo
JOIN sys.columns syc ON
syc.object_id= syo.object_id
JOIN sys.types syt ON
syt.system_type_id = syc.system_type_id
JOIN sys.schemas sysc ON
syo.schema_id=sysc.schema_id
WHERE
syt.name = 'varchar'
and syo.type='U'
Further updated to fix MAX being replaced with -1.
SELECT cmd = 'ALTER TABLE [' + c.table_schema + '].[' + c.table_name
+ '] ALTER COLUMN [' + c.column_name + '] NVARCHAR('
+CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH<=4000 THEN
CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH = -1 THEN
'MAX' ELSE CAST(CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH AS VARCHAR(10)) END ELSE 'MAX' END+')'
+ CASE WHEN IS_NULLABLE='NO' THEN ' NOT NULL' ELSE '' END,*
FROM information_schema.columns c
WHERE c.data_type='VARCHAR'
ORDER BY CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH DESC
Credit to Nezam's Answer
And another one to manage default values:
SELECT cmd =
CASE WHEN name IS NOT NULL THEN
'ALTER TABLE ' + c.table_name + ' DROP CONSTRAINT ' + d.name + '; ' +
'ALTER TABLE [' + c.table_schema + '].[' + c.table_name + '] ALTER COLUMN [' + c.column_name + '] ' +
'NVARCHAR(' +
CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH <= 4000 THEN
CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH = -1 THEN
'MAX'
ELSE
CAST(CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH AS VARCHAR(10))
END
ELSE
'MAX'
END
+ ')' +
CASE WHEN IS_NULLABLE='NO' THEN ' NOT NULL' ELSE '' END + '; ' +
'ALTER TABLE '+ c.table_name + ' ADD CONSTRAINT ' + d.name +' DEFAULT '+ c.column_default + ' FOR ' + c.column_name + ';'
ELSE
'ALTER TABLE [' + c.table_schema + '].[' + c.table_name + '] ALTER COLUMN [' + c.column_name + '] ' +
'NVARCHAR(' +
CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH<=4000 THEN
CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH = -1 THEN
'MAX'
ELSE
CAST(CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH AS VARCHAR(10))
END
ELSE
'MAX'
END
+ ')' +
CASE WHEN IS_NULLABLE='NO' THEN ' NOT NULL' ELSE '' END
END,d.name, c.*
FROM information_schema.columns c
LEFT OUTER JOIN sys.default_constraints d ON d.parent_object_id = object_id(c.table_name)
AND d.parent_column_id = columnproperty(object_id(c.table_name), c.column_name, 'ColumnId')
WHERE c.data_type='VARCHAR'
ORDER BY CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH DESC