Designing Tables

The Table Designer devotes an entire window to the design of an individual table. The topics in this section explain how to use Table Designer to create and modify database tables.

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: Open Table Designer
  Open a new or existing database table.

• How to: Save Your Work in Table Designer
  Save changes to specific tables or to all tables open in the Table Designer.

• Working with Tables in Table Designer
  Add, remove, and modify tables in your database.

• Working with Columns
  Edit column properties directly in a database diagram or the Table Designer.

• Working with Keys
  Add, remove, and manipulate primary keys and foreign keys.

• Working with Relationships
  Create and modify associations between table rows.

• Working with Indexes
  Add, delete, and manage indexes for fast access to table rows or enforcing certain constraints.

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

• Overview of Visual Database Tools
  Provides links to topics describing what is new in Visual Database Tools and how the tools interact with your database.

• Understanding Visual Database Tools
  Provides an overview of the tools included and how to manage large database projects.

• Working with Constraints
  Create and manage various types of constraints.

• Working with Triggers
  Create and manage triggers to help manage your data.