SQL Server® 2008 Administration: Instant Reference

3.4. Create and Alter Tables

Most SQL Server data exists in data tables. Each table is a collection of data elements called fields or columns. When you define a table in SQL Server, you specify information like the following for each column:

• Column name

• Data type

• Nullability

To begin this discussion, therefore, we must look at our data type options. Then we will see how to take a table through its life cycle, namely create, alter, and drop.

There are also many other table features that we just don't have the room to address in this guide. The intent of this book is to provide a quick reference for the most common tasks. For more advanced operations ...