Schema Restrictions (ADO.NET)

The second optional parameter of the GetSchema method is the restrictions that are used to limit the amount of schema information returned, and it is passed to the GetSchema method as an array of strings. The position in the array determines the values that you can pass, and this is equivalent to the restriction number.

For example, the following table describes the restrictions supported by the "Tables" schema collection using the .NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server. Additional restrictions for SQL Server schema collections are listed at the end of this topic.

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Name	TABLE_NAME	3
TableType	@TableType	TABLE_TYPE	4

Specifying Restriction Values

To use one of the restrictions of the "Tables" schema collection, simply create an array of strings with four elements, then place a value in the element that matches the restriction number. For example, to restrict the tables returned by the GetSchema method to only those tables in the "Sales" schema, set the second element of the array to "Sales" before passing it to the GetSchema method.

Note

The restrictions collections for SqlClient and OracleClient have an additional ParameterName column. The restriction default column is still there for backwards compatibility, but is currently ignored. Parameterized queries rather than string replacement should be used to minimize the risk of an SQL injection attack when specifying restriction values.

Note

The number of elements in the array must be less than or equal to the number of restrictions supported for the specified schema collection else an ArgumentException will be thrown. There can be fewer than the maximum number of restrictions. The missing restrictions are assumed to be null (unrestricted).

You can query a .NET Framework managed provider to determine the list of supported restrictions by calling the GetSchema method with the name of the restrictions schema collection, which is "Restrictions". This will return a DataTable with a list of the collection names, the restriction names, the default restriction values, and the restriction numbers.

Example

The following examples demonstrate how to use the GetSchema method of the .NET Framework Data Provider for the SQL Server SqlConnection class to retrieve schema information about all of the tables contained in the AdventureWorks sample database, and to restrict the information returned to only those tables in the "Sales" schema:

[Visual Basic]

Imports System.Data.SqlClient

Module Module1
Sub Main()
  Dim connectionString As String = _
    "Data Source=(local);Database=AdventureWorks;" & _
       "Integrated Security=true;";

  Dim restrictions(3) As String
  Using connection As New SqlConnection(connectionString)
    connection.Open()

    'Specify the restrictions.
    restrictions(1) = "Sales"
    Dim table As DataTable = connection.GetSchema("Tables", _
       restrictions)

    ' Display the contents of the table.
      For Each row As DataRow In table.Rows
         For Each col As DataColumn In table.Columns
            Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}", col.ColumnName, row(col))
         Next
         Console.WriteLine("============================")
      Next
    Console.WriteLine("Press any key to continue.")
    Console.ReadKey()
  End Using
End Sub
End Module

[C#]

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

class Program
{
  static void Main()
  {
    string connectionString = 
       "Data Source=(local);Database=AdventureWorks;" +
       "Integrated Security=true;";
    using (SqlConnection connection =
       new SqlConnection(connectionString))
    {
        connection.Open();

        // Specify the restrictions.
        string[] restrictions = new string[4];
        restrictions[1] = "Sales";
        System.Data.DataTable table = connection.GetSchema(
          "Tables", restrictions);

        // Display the contents of the table.
        foreach (System.Data.DataRow row in table.Rows)
        {
            foreach (System.Data.DataColumn col in table.Columns)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}", 
                  col.ColumnName, row[col]);
            }
            Console.WriteLine("============================");
        }
        Console.WriteLine("Press any key to continue.");
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
  }

  private static string GetConnectionString()
  {
     // To avoid storing the connection string in your code,
     // you can retrieve it from a configuration file.
     return "Data Source=(local);Database=AdventureWorks;" +
        "Integrated Security=true;";
  }

  private static void DisplayData(System.Data.DataTable table)
  {
     foreach (System.Data.DataRow row in table.Rows)
     {
        foreach (System.Data.DataColumn col in table.Columns)
        {
           Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}", col.ColumnName, row[col]);
        }
     Console.WriteLine("============================");
     }
  }
}

SQL Server Schema Restrictions

The following tables list the restrictions for SQL Server schema collections.

Users

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
User_Name	@Name	name	1

Databases

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Name	@Name	Name	1

Tables

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Name	TABLE_NAME	3
TableType	@TableType	TABLE_TYPE	4

Columns

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3
Column	@Column	COLUMN_NAME	4

StructuredTypeMembers

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3
Column	@Column	COLUMN_NAME	4

Views

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3

ViewColumns

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	VIEW_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	VIEW_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	VIEW_NAME	3
Column	@Column	COLUMN_NAME	4

ProcedureParameters

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	SPECIFIC_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	SPECIFIC_SCHEMA	2
Name	@Name	SPECIFIC_NAME	3
Parameter	@Parameter	PARAMETER_NAME	4

Procedures

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	SPECIFIC_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	SPECIFIC_SCHEMA	2
Name	@Name	SPECIFIC_NAME	3
Type	@Type	ROUTINE_TYPE	4

IndexColumns

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	db_name()	1
Owner	@Owner	user_name()	2
Table	@Table	o.name	3
ConstraintName	@ConstraintName	x.name	4
Column	@Column	c.name	5

Indexes

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	db_name()	1
Owner	@Owner	user_name()	2
Table	@Table	o.name	3

UserDefinedTypes

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
assembly_name	@AssemblyName	assemblies.name	1
udt_name	@UDTName	types.assembly_class	2

ForeignKeys

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	CONSTRAINT_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	CONSTRAINT_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3
Name	@Name	CONSTRAINT_NAME	4

SQL Server 2008 Schema Restrictions

The following tables list the restrictions for SQL Server 2008 schema collections. These restrictions are valid beginning with version 3.5 SP1 of the .NET Framework and SQL Server 2008. They are not supported in earlier versions of the .NET Framework and SQL Server.

ColumnSetColumns

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3

AllColumns

Restriction Name	Parameter Name	Restriction Default	Restriction Number
Catalog	@Catalog	TABLE_CATALOG	1
Owner	@Owner	TABLE_SCHEMA	2
Table	@Table	TABLE_NAME	3
Column	@Column	COLUMN_NAME	4

See Also

Other Resources

ADO.NET Managed Providers and DataSet Developer Center