SQL Server 7.0 Useful Undocumented Stored Procedures

In this article, I want to tell you about some useful undocumented
stored procedures shipped with SQL Server 7.0.

sp_columns_rowset

This stored procedure returns the complete columns description,

including the length, type, name, and so on.
Syntax







sp_columns_rowset tbname [, table_schema ] [, column_name]







where
tbname       – is the table name. tbname is sysname.

table_schema – is the table schema. table_schema is sysname,

               with a default of NULL.

column_name  – is the column name. column_name is sysname,

               with a default of NULL.
This is the example:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_columns_rowset ‘authors’

GO











sp_fixindex

This stored procedure can be used to fix a corruption in a system table

by recreate the index.
Syntax







sp_fixindex  database, systemcatalog, ind_id







where
database      – is the database name. database is sysname.

systemcatalog – is the system table name. systemcatalog is sysname.

ind_id        – is the index id value. ind_id is int
Note. Before using this stored procedure the database has to be

      in single user mode.
See this link for more information:

“How can I fix a corruption in a system table?”

http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=14051
This is the example:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_fixindex pubs, sysindexes, 2

GO











sp_MSexists_file

This stored procedure can be used to determine whether the particular

file exists in the particular directory or not.
Syntax







sp_MSexists_file full_path, filename







where
full_path – is the full path to the file. full_path is nvarchar(512).

filename  – is the file name. filename is nvarchar(255).
To check if file textcopy.exe exists in the C:MSSQL7BINN directory

(path by default), run:







DECLARE @retcode int

EXEC @retcode = sp_MSexists_file ‘C:MSSQL7BINN’, ‘textcopy.exe’

IF @retcode = 1

  PRINT ‘File Exist’

ELSE

  PRINT ‘File does not Exist’











sp_MSforeachdb

Sometimes, you need to perform the same actions for all databases.

You can make cursor for this purpose, but you can also use

sp_MSforeachdb stored procedure in this case.
You can use this stored procedure to check all databases with

DBCC CHECKDB statement:







EXEC sp_MSforeachdb @command1=”print ‘?’ DBCC CHECKDB (‘?’)”











sp_MSforeachtable

Sometimes, you need to perform the same actions for all tables in the

database. You can make cursor for this purpose, but you can also use

sp_MSforeachtable stored procedure in this case.
You can use this stored procedure to rebuild all indexes in your

database. Try to schedule it to execute when your server is not

very hard work.







EXEC sp_MSforeachtable @command1=”print ‘?’ DBCC DBREINDEX (‘?’)”











sp_MShelpcolumns

This stored procedure returns the complete schema for a table, including

the length, type, name, and whether a column is computed.
Syntax







sp_MShelpcolumns tablename [, flags] [, orderby] [, flags2]







where
tablename – is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517).

flags     – flags is int, with a default of 0.

orderby   – orderby is nvarchar(10), with a default of NULL.

flags     – flags2 is int, with a default of 0.
To get the full columns description for the authors table in the

pubs database, run:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_MShelpcolumns ‘authors’

GO











sp_MShelpindex

This stored procedure returns information about name, status, fill

factor, index columns names, and about used file group for the given

table.
Syntax







sp_MShelpindex tablename [, indexname] [, flags]







where
tablename – is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517).

indexname – is the index name. indexname is nvarchar(258).

flags     – flags is int, with a default of NULL.
To get the indexes description for the authors table in the

pubs database, run:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_MShelpindex ‘authors’

GO











sp_MShelptype

This stored procedure returns many useful information about system

data types and about user data types.
Syntax







sp_MShelptype [typename] [, flags]







where
typename – is the type name. typename is nvarchar(517),

           with a default of NULL.

flags    – flags is nvarchar(10), with a default of NULL.
To get information about all built-in and user defined data types

in the pubs database, run:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_MShelptype

GO











sp_MSindexspace

This stored procedure returns the size in kb, which the indexes in

the particular table use.
Syntax







sp_MSindexspace tablename [, index_name]







where

tablename  – is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517).

index_name – is the index name. index_name is nvarchar(258),

             with a default of NULL.
To determine the space used by the indexes from the authors table

in the pubs database, run:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_MSindexspace ‘authors’

GO











sp_MSkilldb

This stored procedure sets database to suspect and let dbcc dbrepair

to kill it. You should run this sp from the context of the master

database. Use it very carefully.
Syntax







sp_MSkilldb dbname







where
dbname – is the database name. dbname is nvarchar(258).
To kill the pubs database, run:







USE master

GO

EXEC sp_MSkilldb ‘pubs’

GO











sp_MStablespace

This stored procedure returns the number of rows and the space

the table and index use.
Syntax







sp_MStablespace [name] [, id]







where
name – is the table name. name is nvarchar(517).

id   – id is int, with a default of NULL.
To determine the space used by the authors table in the pubs database,

run:







USE pubs

GO

EXEC sp_MStablespace ‘authors’

GO







Here is the result set from my machine:







Rows        DataSpaceUsed IndexSpaceUsed

———– ————- ————–

23          8             24











sp_tempdbspace

This stored procedure can be used to get the total size and the space

used by the tempdb database. You should execute sp_tempdbspace without

parameters.
Syntax







sp_tempdbspace







This is the example:







EXEC sp_tempdbspace







Here is the result set from my machine:







database_name database_size           spaceused

————- ———————– —————————

tempdb        8.500000                .703125











sp_who2

This stored procedure returns information about current SQL Server 7.0

users and processes as sp_who, but provides more detailed information.

sp_who2 returns CPUTime, DiskIO, LastBatch and ProgramName in addition

to sp_who.
Syntax







sp_who [loginame]







where
loginame – the user’s login name. If not specified, the procedure

           reports on all active users of SQL Server.
This example returns information for the ‘sa’ login:







EXEC sp_who2 ‘sa’