sys.syscolumns (Transact-SQL)

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

Returns one row for every column in every table and view, and a row for each parameter in a stored procedure in the database.

Important

This SQL Server 2000 system table is included as a view for backward compatibility. We recommend that you use the current SQL Server system views instead. To find the equivalent system view or views, see Mapping System Tables to System Views (Transact-SQL). This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.

Column name Data type Description
name sysname Name of the column or procedure parameter.
id int Object ID of the table to which this column belongs, or the ID of the stored procedure with which this parameter is associated.
xtype tinyint Physical storage type from sys.types.
typestat tinyint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
xusertype smallint ID of extended user-defined data type. Overflows or returns NULL if the number of data types exceeds 32,767.
length smallint Maximum physical storage length from sys.types.
xprec tinyint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
xscale tinyint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
colid smallint Column or parameter ID.
xoffset smallint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
bitpos tinyint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
reserved tinyint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
colstat smallint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
cdefault int ID of the default for this column.
domain int ID of the rule or CHECK constraint for this column.
number smallint Subprocedure number when the procedure is grouped.

0 = Nonprocedure entries
colorder smallint Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
autoval varbinary(8000) Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
offset smallint Offset into the row in which this column appears.
collationid int ID of the collation of the column. NULL for noncharacter-based columns.
status tinyint Bitmap used to describe a property of the column or the parameter:

0x08 = Column allows null values.

0x10 = ANSI padding was in effect when varchar or varbinary columns were added. Trailing blanks are preserved for varchar and trailing zeros are preserved for varbinary columns.

0x40 = Parameter is an OUTPUT parameter.

0x80 = Column is an identity column.
type tinyint Physical storage type from sys.types.
usertype smallint ID of user-defined data type from sys.types. Overflows or returns NULL if the number of data types exceeds 32,767.
printfmt varchar(255) Identified for informational purposes only. Not supported. Future compatibility is not guaranteed.
prec smallint Level of precision for this column.

-1 = xml or large value type.
scale int Scale for this column.

NULL = Data type is nonnumeric.
iscomputed int Flag indicating whether the column is computed:

0 = Noncomputed

1 = Computed
isoutparam int Indicates whether the procedure parameter is an output parameter:

1 = True

0 = False
isnullable int Indicates whether the column allows null values:

1 = True

0 = False
collation sysname Name of the collation of the column. NULL if not a character-based column.

See Also

Mapping System Tables to System Views (Transact-SQL)
Compatibility Views (Transact-SQL)