SQL Server (T-SQL)

Your statement will also return any views that contain that column.

Excellent query, help me a lot!!

Thanks for the query. Made finding my join columns very easy :)

Nice solution, thanks a lot

Thanks a lot, does exactly what I need.

Perfect.

Major thanks

Another option that I use (because I find it much easier to remember) is:

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS WHERE COLUMN_NAME LIKE '%CUSTNMBR%'

It is also alot simpler to write out than the typical sysobjects query.

You can separately query Views and Tables, but I find that I use Columns most often. (Check out BOL for more options)

I believe there are a few limitations of this approach vs. sysobjects (like trying to find triggers, etc.), but I find it simpler and quicker for 99% of the blind searches that I have to do.

Excellent  Query!!!!!!

nice tips ... how about if i wanted to find all table names where COLUMN_NAME LIKE '%CUSTNMBR%'

but also exclude another column.

So 2 clauses.

Hi All,

Could any of the previous queries be modified to return the table and column name that contain a specific value.  So basically, I know the value I am looking for (varchar), but I do not know the table or column. Also, the value may be in more than one table/column.  

Thanks for the help.  

also it would hav been good to use (nolock) with databases that are running live. Your query will look like this:

select sysobjects.name

from syscolumns (nolock)

left join sysobjects (nolock) on sysobjects.id = syscolumns.id

where syscolumns.name like 'myFieldName'

order by 1