Delete SQL Server database column using Visual Studio

Posted on December 31, 2022 by chanmingman

This blog article shows you how to delete column from database table using Database Project in Visual Studio. Firstly I import the Database Schema using Visual Studio,
https://chanmingman.wordpress.com/2021/10/11/import-database-schema-using-visual-studio/?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-36769. Then Add column to database table using Visual Studio, https://chanmingman.wordpress.com/2022/12/25/add-column-to-database-table-using-visual-studio/?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-36769. We are going to delete the CategoryLongName column.

Double click to open the Categories.sql from the Database Project as below. Right click the CategoryLongName row and select Delete.

You can just Publish the changes. Visual Studio will give you an error. In order to delete the column, you need to empty the database table. Right click the Database Project to add Pre Deployment Script.

The script below is to move the database from Categories table to a CategoriesTemp table. Then delete the data in the Categories table.

Right click the Database Project to add a Post Deployment Script.

The script below is to insert the data from the temp table back to Categories table.

You can now right click on the Database Project and select Publish...

Click Edit to select your Target Database connection.

Select a database connection. Click Browse to create one if you yet to have one.

Click OK. Then click Publish. You will see the publishing progress as below.

Select the Categories table to see the data.

Video: https://youtu.be/sZmURXUdIfc/?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-36769

Source code download: https://github.com/chanmmn/database/tree/main/DatabaseNW/?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-36769

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/web-forms/overview/deployment/web-deployment-in-the-enterprise/deploying-database-projects/?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-36769

About chanmingman

Since March 2011 Microsoft Live Spaces migrated to Wordpress (http://www.pcworld.com/article/206455/Microsoft_Live_Spaces_Moves_to_WordPress_An_FAQ.html) till now, I have is over 1 million viewers. This blog is about more than 50% telling you how to resolve error messages, especial for Microsoft products. The blog also has a lot of guidance teaching you how to get stated certain Microsoft technologies. The blog also uses as a help to keep my memory. The blog is never meant to give people consulting services or silver bullet solutions. It is a contribution to the community. Thanks for your support over the years. Ming Man is Microsoft MVP since year 2006. He is a software development manager for a multinational company. With 25 years of experience in the IT field, he has developed system using Clipper, COBOL, VB5, VB6, VB.NET, Java and C #. He has been using Visual Studio (.NET) since the Beta back in year 2000. He and the team have developed many projects using .NET platform such as SCM, and HR based applications. He is familiar with the N-Tier design of business application and is also an expert with database experience in MS SQL, Oracle and AS 400.
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