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sp_tables (Transact-SQL)

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Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW) SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric

Returns a list of objects that can be queried in the current environment. This means any table or view, except synonym objects.

Note

To determine the name of the base object of a synonym, query the sys.synonyms catalog view.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

Syntax for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Parallel Data Warehouse:

sp_tables
    [ [ @table_name = ] N'table_name' ]
    [ , [ @table_owner = ] N'table_owner' ]
    [ , [ @table_qualifier = ] N'table_qualifier' ]
    [ , [ @table_type = ] 'table_type' ]
    [ , [ @fUsePattern = ] fUsePattern ]
[ ; ]

Arguments

[ @table_name = ] N'table_name'

The table used to return catalog information. @table_name is nvarchar(384), with a default of NULL. Wildcard pattern matching is supported.

[ @table_owner = ] N'table_owner'

The table owner of the table used to return catalog information. @table_owner is nvarchar(384), with a default of NULL. Wildcard pattern matching is supported. If the owner isn't specified, the default table visibility rules of the underlying DBMS apply.

In SQL Server, if the current user owns a table with the specified name, the columns of that table are returned. If the owner isn't specified and the current user doesn't own a table with the specified name, this procedure looks for a table with the specified name owned by the database owner. If one exists, the columns of that table are returned.

[ @table_qualifier = ] N'table_qualifier'

The name of the table qualifier. @table_qualifier is sysname, with a default of NULL. Various DBMS products support three-part naming for tables (<qualifier>.<owner>.<name>). In SQL Server, this column represents the database name. In some products, it represents the server name of the table's database environment.

[ @table_type = ] 'table_type'

A list of values, separated by commas, that gives information about all tables of the table types that are specified. These include TABLE, SYSTEMTABLE, and VIEW. @table_type is varchar(100), with a default of NULL.

Single quotation marks must enclose each table type, and double quotation marks must enclose the whole parameter. Table types must be uppercase. If SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER is ON, each single quotation mark must be doubled and the whole parameter must be enclosed in single quotation marks.

[ @fUsePattern = ] fUsePattern

Determines whether the underscore (_), percent (%), and bracket ([ or ]) characters are interpreted as wildcard characters. Valid values are 0 (pattern matching is off) and 1 (pattern matching is on). @fUsePattern is bit, with a default of 1.

Return code values

None.

Result set

Column name Data type Description
TABLE_QUALIFIER sysname Table qualifier name. In SQL Server, this column represents the database name. This field can be NULL.
TABLE_OWNER sysname Table owner name. In SQL Server, this column represents the name of the database user who created the table. This field always returns a value.
TABLE_NAME sysname Table name. This field always returns a value.
TABLE_TYPE varchar(32) Table, system table, or view.
REMARKS varchar(254) SQL Server doesn't return a value for this column.

Remarks

For maximum interoperability, the gateway client should assume only SQL-92-standard SQL pattern matching (the % and _ wildcard characters).

Privilege information about the current user's read or write access to a specific table isn't always checked. Therefore access isn't guaranteed. This result set includes not only tables and views, but also synonyms and aliases for gateways to DBMS products that support those types. If the server attribute ACCESSIBLE_TABLES is Y in the result set for sp_server_info, only tables that can be accessed by the current user are returned.

sp_tables is equivalent to SQLTables in ODBC. The results returned are ordered by TABLE_TYPE, TABLE_QUALIFIER, TABLE_OWNER, and TABLE_NAME.

Permissions

The visibility of the metadata in catalog views is limited to securables that a user either owns, or on which the user was granted some permission. For more information, see Metadata Visibility Configuration.

Examples

A. Return a list of objects that can be queried in the current environment

The following example returns a list of objects that can be queries in the current environment.

EXEC sp_tables;

B. Return information about the tables in a specified schema

The following example returns information about the tables that belong to the Person schema in the AdventureWorks2022 database.

USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
EXEC sp_tables
   @table_name = '%',
   @table_owner = 'Person',
   @table_qualifier = 'AdventureWorks2022';

Examples: Azure Synapse Analytics and Analytics Platform System (PDW)

C. Return a list of objects that can be queried in the current environment

The following example returns a list of objects that can be queries in the current environment.

EXEC sp_tables;

D. Return information about the tables in a specified schema

The following example returns information about the dimension tables in the AdventureWorksPDW2012 database.

-- Uses AdventureWorks

EXEC sp_tables
   @table_name = 'Dim%',
   @table_owner = 'dbo',
   @table_qualifier = 'AdventureWorksPDW2012';

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