Creating your first table Day-4

Day-4

Creating your first table

1. Develop a naming standard.
2. Understand schemas.
3. Understand the different SQL Server data types.
4. Understand column properties.
5. Create and alter tables.
6. Understand computed columns.
7. Add constraints to a table.
8.  Understand the File Table feature.
9. Create a database diagram.

You will create your first table using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Transact-SQL (T-SQL).
Database is the primary container of all objects on an instance of Microsoft SQL Server, the table is the primary container of all data on a SQL Server instance.

Tables serve as the basic unit of organization for any database, including those managed by SQL Server 2012. Designing appropriate tables to store your data is an essential responsibility of a database developer and both designers and administrators must be familiar with the process of creating new SQL Server database tables.

Use SQL Server Management Studio. Go ahead and open SSMS and connect to the server that hosts the database where you would like to create a new table.

Within SSMS, you'll need to navigate to the Tables folder of the correct database. Notice that the folder structure on the left side of the window contains a folder called "Databases". Begin by expanding this folder. You will then see folders corresponding to each of the databases hosted on your server. Expand the folder corresponding to the database where you wish to create a new table.

Finally, expand the Tables folder underneath that database. Take a moment to examine the list of tables that already exist in the database and make sure it reflects your understanding of the existing database structure. You want to be sure not to create a duplicate table, as this will cause you fundamental problems down the road that may be difficult to correct.

Right click on the Tables folder and select New Table from the pop-up menu. This will open a new pane within SSMS where you may create your first database table.

Create Table Columns

The design interface presents you with a three-column grid to specify the table properties. For each attribute you wish to store in the table, you will need to identify:

Each database attribute is similar to a variable; it is a single data item that your database will store for each record. You might have columns named FirstName, LastName, HomePhone, and EmailAddress containing information about each person in the contact database.

Data Type: The data type specifies the type of information that you will store in each column.

Allow Nulls: This is simply a checkbox. If you check it, the database will allow you to store null (or blank) values in that column.

Primary Key: Next, highlight the column(s) that you've selected for your table's primary key. Then click the key icon in the taskbar to set the primary key. If you have a multivalued primary key, use the CTRL key to highlight multiple rows before clicking the key icon.

Name and Save Your Table: After creating a primary key, use the disk icon in the toolbar to save your table to the server. You'll be asked to provide a name for your table when you save it for the first time. Be sure to choose something descriptive that will help others understand the purpose of the table.


Thanks & Regards  
Srikanth Goud-  Virtualization Administrator