Auto-generate scripts to create tables, indexes, etc

Question

In SSMS, we can right click a database/table/index/... and select the "Script As" option to generate a drop and create script.

Is there a way to automate this script generation and drop the scripts to a temp location, rather than manually right clicking each object and generating them?

• user507: I go for the simple route: petri.co.il/scripting-database-objects-in-powershell.htm

Answer 1

SQL Server Management Objects SMO is your answer. You can use it to accomplish this task. Here is an example to generate Create Table Scripts.

 public string GetTableDescription(string pDatabaseName, string pSchemaName, string pTableName, string connectionString)
 {
 connectionString = ConnectionHelper.RemoveProviderFromConnectionString(connectionString);
 Server server = new Server(new ServerConnection(new SqlConnection(connectionString)));
 Database db = server.Databases[pDatabaseName];
 Table t = db.Tables[pTableName, pSchemaName];
 ScriptingOptions baseOptions = new ScriptingOptions();
 baseOptions.NoCollation = true;
 baseOptions.SchemaQualify = true;
 baseOptions.DriDefaults = true;
 baseOptions.IncludeHeaders = false;
 baseOptions.DriPrimaryKey = true;
 baseOptions.ExtendedProperties = true;
 //baseOptions.DriAll = true;
 //baseOptions.Indexes = true;
 //baseOptions.DriAllKeys = true;
 //baseOptions.SchemaQualifyForeignKeysReferences = true;
 baseOptions.EnforceScriptingOptions = true;
 StringCollection result = t.Script(baseOptions);
 return StringCreate(result);
 }

Answer 2

You can use Powershell and SMO to do this - simple, efficient and customizable. Such script to script out database objects can be found here and here

• Amam: Thanks Kin! The first link did the trick. Is there a way we can automate and rename the table names in the output file. Lets say, the script generate create index commands for Table_A, I need to the keyword Table_A within the output file to Table_B, so that i can run the create scripts against table_B
• Kin Shah: You can do a search+replace or use RegEx or generate the scripts with Powershell but just append _New to the script. Many ways to do it.