Sql-server – Create a nonclustered non-unique index within the CREATE TABLE statement with SQL Server

sql server

It is possible to create a primary key or unique index within a SQL Server CREATE TABLE statement. Is it possible to create a non-unique index within a CREATE TABLE statement?

CREATE TABLE MyTable(
    a int NOT NULL
    ,b smallint NOT NULL
    ,c smallint NOT NULL
    ,d smallint NOT NULL
    ,e smallint NOT NULL

    -- This creates a primary key
    ,CONSTRAINT PK_MyTable PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (a)

    -- This creates a unique nonclustered index on columns b and c
    ,CONSTRAINT IX_MyTable1 UNIQUE (b, c)

    -- Is it possible to create a non-unique index on columns d and e here?
    -- Note: these variations would not work if attempted:
    -- ,CONSTRAINT IX_MyTable2 INDEX (d, e)
    -- ,CONSTRAINT IX_MyTable3 NONCLUSTERED INDEX (d, e)
);
GO

-- The proposed non-unique index should behave identically to
-- an index created after the CREATE TABLE statement. Example:
CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX IX_MyTable4 ON MY_TABLE (d, e);
GO

Again, the goal is to create the non-unique index within the CREATE TABLE statement, not after it.

For what it's worth, I did not find the [SQL Server Books Online entry for CREATE TABLE] to be helpful.

Also, [This Question] is nearly identical, but the accepted answer does not apply.

Best Answer

As of SQL 2014, this can be accomplished via inline index creation:

CREATE TABLE MyTable(
    a int NOT NULL
    ,b smallint NOT NULL
    ,c smallint NOT NULL
    ,d smallint NOT NULL
    ,e smallint NOT NULL

    -- This creates a primary key
    ,CONSTRAINT PK_MyTable PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (a)

    -- This creates a unique nonclustered index on columns b and c
    ,CONSTRAINT IX_MyTable1 UNIQUE (b, c)

    -- This creates a standard non-clustered index on (d, e)
    ,INDEX IX_MyTable4 NONCLUSTERED (d, e)
);
GO

Prior to SQL 2014, CREATE/ALTER TABLE only accepted CONSTRAINTs to be added, not indexes. The fact that primary key and unique constraints are implemented in terms of an index is a side effect.

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