Syntax:
ALTER TABLE {TABLENAME}
ADD {COLUMNNAME} {TYPE} {NULL|NOT NULL}
CONSTRAINT {CONSTRAINT_NAME} DEFAULT {DEFAULT_VALUE}
WITH VALUES
Example:
ALTER TABLE SomeTable
ADD SomeCol Bit NULL --Or NOT NULL.
CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol --When Omitted a Default-Constraint Name is autogenerated.
DEFAULT (0)--Optional Default-Constraint.
WITH VALUES --Add if Column is Nullable and you want the Default Value for Existing Records.
Notes:
Optional Constraint Name:
If you leave out CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol
then SQL Server will autogenerate
a Default-Contraint with a funny Name like: DF__SomeTa__SomeC__4FB7FEF6
Optional With-Values Statement:
The WITH VALUES
is only needed when your Column is Nullable
and you want the Default Value used for Existing Records.
If your Column is NOT NULL
, then it will automatically use the Default Value
for all Existing Records, whether you specify WITH VALUES
or not.
How Inserts work with a Default-Constraint:
If you insert a Record into SomeTable
and do not Specify SomeCol
's value, then it will Default to 0
.
If you insert a Record and Specify SomeCol
's value as NULL
(and your column allows nulls),
then the Default-Constraint will not be used and NULL
will be inserted as the Value.
Notes were based on everyone's great feedback below.
Special Thanks to:
@Yatrix, @WalterStabosz, @YahooSerious, and @StackMan for their Comments.
SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))
for example
SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))
gives me
2008-09-22 00:00:00.000
Pros:
- No varchar<->datetime conversions required
- No need to think about locale
Best Answer
There are multiple ways to do this:
data
in your table. Column properties, constraints, keys, indices, stored procedures, triggers, security settings, users, logons, etc. are not transferred. However it is very simple process and can be done simply by going through wizard in SQL Server Management Studio.Manual procedure for method #1 (using SSIS) is the following:
You can automate it by creating SSIS package and re-executing it any time you like to re-import the data. Note that you can only import using SSIS to a clean DB, you cannot do incremental updates to your local database once you already done it once.
Method #2 (SSID data plus schema objects) is very simple. First go though a steps described above, then create DB Creation script (righ click on database in SSMS, choose Generate Scripts -> Database Create). Then re-play this script on your local database.
Method #3 is described in the Blog here: http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/sql-azure-importexport-service-has-hit-production/. There is a video clip with the process of transferring DB contents to Azure Blob storage as BACPAC. After that you can copy the file locally and import it to your SQL instance. Process of importing BACPAC to Data-Tier application is described here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh710052.aspx.