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Question

I've got various databases, and what to be sure I am removing something (a view in this case) that is truly orphaned. Is the the correct SQL to be using:

SELECT r.routine_name, 
       r.routine_definition
  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES r
 WHERE r.routine_definition LIKE '%my_view_name%'

The problem with it is that these references aren't picking up declarations in stored procedures, and I don't know what else.

I found the SO Question I'd remembered, but it's not helping either. This:

SELECT t.*
  FROM SYSCOMMENTS t
 WHERE CHARINDEX('my_view_name', t.text) > 0

...is close. I get the body of the stored procedure that I know is using the view, but I'm having trouble getting the actual procedure name.

Does "sp_depends" not help. I suppose you'd have to run it on each database. — AntDC, Jul 18 '16 at 11:52

score 29 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 02 '09 at 05:05

You have one option only.

select
    object_name(m.object_id), m.*
from
    sys.sql_modules m
where
    m.definition like N'%my_view_name%'

syscomments and INFORMATION_SCHEMA.routines have nvarchar(4000) columns. So if "myViewName" is used at position 3998, it won't be found. syscomments does have multiple lines but ROUTINES truncates.

LukLed · Answer 2 · 2009-10-01T21:18:52.797

1

Your method is not fully correct. Read this article:

http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1294

Your method will not return any result if another view uses this view.

SQL Server 2008 has special view (sys.dm_sql_referencing_entities), here it is not that easy.

edited Oct 01 '09 at 21:18

answered Oct 01 '09 at 21:09

LukLed

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If you want to use syscomments and get object name: SELECT object_name(t.id),t.* FROM SYSCOMMENTS t WHERE CHARINDEX('V_MIEJSCE', t.text) > 0 – LukLed Oct 02 '09 at 11:31
@LukLed: I didn't want to, just wanted to know what's best to use. Per gbn's answer, it isn't. – OMG Ponies Oct 02 '09 at 16:23

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 18 '16 at 11:44

1

I am not sure but i guess you can use something like this if your view is used in some stored procedure

SELECT *  
FROM syscomments c  
INNER JOIN sysobjects o ON c.id =o.id 
WHERE text LIKE '%my_view_name%' AND xtype ='p'

edited Jul 18 '16 at 11:44

Echilon

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answered Oct 01 '09 at 23:33

Nirlep

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@Neil: The text column is truncated to the 1st 4,000 characters so if the string you are looking for isn't entirely within that 4,000 character limit, the SQL will return a false negative. – OMG Ponies Oct 02 '09 at 16:22

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