is it a bug

I am using SQL Server 2000 8.00.760 SP3
I am writing a TSQL Script to compare two databases and report any difference.
I am modifying the script sp_comparedb originally written by Viktor Gorodnichenko.
His script only compares the table schema. I am adding ability to compare indexes,
Primary Keys and Foreign keys. All is working well except at one place.
DESC Key. If an index is declared with a DESC column, then the following two
cases behave differently.
use database_name
select INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,'IsDescending')
from dbo.sysindexkeys
where id = object_id('any_table_name')
returns 1 for those columns of an index which has DESC clause.
Now the problem is that I don't use the database. Since the script
compares two different databases, it runs in the master databases
and loads all information from the databases_to_be_compared
into temp tables using EXEC call. So this is what I do
use master
set @.sqlstring = 'insert into #tmp_sysindexkeys ' +
'select INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,''IsDescending'') from ' +
@.dbname + '.dbo.sysindexkeys'
When this query runs, it returns null for all columns.
This can easily be tested in Query Analyser as follows
use master
select INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,'IsDescending')
from different_database.dbo.sysindexkeys
where id = object_id('different_database.dbo.any_table_name')
Compare the results with the first query. While the first will return 0 or 1 for descending,
the second will always return NULL.
INDEXKEY_PROPERTY (and all similar functions) still works locally to the
database you are in, and in your case that is master.
What you can do is use sp_executesql to get the proper database context:
set @.sqlstring = 'insert into #tmp_sysindexkeys ' +
'EXEC ' +
@.dbname + '..sp_executesql ''select
INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,''''IsDescending' ''') from
dbo.sysindexkeys'''
(Not sure if I did all the quotes right there)
Jacco Schalkwijk
SQL Server MVP
"Data Cruncher" <dcruncher4@.netscape.net> wrote in message
news:3gthaoFea9jbU1@.individual.net...
>I am using SQL Server 2000 8.00.760 SP3
> I am writing a TSQL Script to compare two databases and report any
> difference.
> I am modifying the script sp_comparedb originally written by Viktor
> Gorodnichenko.
> His script only compares the table schema. I am adding ability to compare
> indexes,
> Primary Keys and Foreign keys. All is working well except at one place.
> DESC Key. If an index is declared with a DESC column, then the following
> two
> cases behave differently.
> use database_name
> select INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,'IsDescending')
> from dbo.sysindexkeys
> where id = object_id('any_table_name')
> returns 1 for those columns of an index which has DESC clause.
> Now the problem is that I don't use the database. Since the script
> compares two different databases, it runs in the master databases
> and loads all information from the databases_to_be_compared
> into temp tables using EXEC call. So this is what I do
> use master
> set @.sqlstring = 'insert into #tmp_sysindexkeys ' +
> 'select
> INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,''IsDescending'') from ' +
> @.dbname + '.dbo.sysindexkeys'
> When this query runs, it returns null for all columns.
> This can easily be tested in Query Analyser as follows
> use master
> select INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,'IsDescending')
> from different_database.dbo.sysindexkeys
> where id = object_id('different_database.dbo.any_table_name')
> Compare the results with the first query. While the first will return 0 or
> 1 for descending,
> the second will always return NULL.
>
>
|||Thanks. Your suggestion works.
"Jacco Schalkwijk" <jacco.please.reply@.to.newsgroups.mvps.org.invalid > wrote in message
news:eVkQtYcbFHA.2980@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> INDEXKEY_PROPERTY (and all similar functions) still works locally to the database you are
> in, and in your case that is master.
> What you can do is use sp_executesql to get the proper database context:
> set @.sqlstring = 'insert into #tmp_sysindexkeys ' +
> 'EXEC ' +
> @.dbname + '..sp_executesql ''select
> INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(id,indid,colid,''''IsDescending' ''') from dbo.sysindexkeys'''
> (Not sure if I did all the quotes right there)
> --
> Jacco Schalkwijk
> SQL Server MVP
>
> "Data Cruncher" <dcruncher4@.netscape.net> wrote in message
> news:3gthaoFea9jbU1@.individual.net...
>