Microsoft SQL - Cannot delete a table, "preparing update script" forever - sql

Question

I am using Visual Studio 2015 and have a data connection to an SQL Database on Azure. I can update things just fine but now I need to delete an entire table altogether and it is stuck at "Preparing update script..." forever. How do I remove the table? It does not have any relations with other tables or anything.

Answer 1

Can you please use SQL Server Management Studio for that? Sometimes, i have the same problem with the VS Explorer, and changing to the SSMS almost always is the solution.
If your SQL Azure is not V12 yet, you can do it from the SQL Azure Silverlight portal (clicking on the Manage button on the SQL Azure dasbhoard), but it is not very viable solution.
If that is the helpful answer, please mark it as a helpful or as the answer. Thanks!

Answer 2

This happens when there is a conflict in your database. (I don't have any article reference/s, this is just from my own experience)
For example, you have a stored procedure like this:
INSERT INTO dbo.Employee_Image
(user_image,
file_extension,
employee_id
)
VALUES
(#user_image,
#file_extension,
#FK_Employee_Image_To_Employee_Table
)
And a table like this:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Employee_Image] (
[user_image_id] INT IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL,
[employee_id] INT NULL,
[user_image] VARBINARY (MAX) NULL,
[file_extension] VARCHAR (12) NULL,
PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([user_image_id] ASC),
CONSTRAINT [AK_Employee_Image_employee_id] UNIQUE NONCLUSTERED ([employee_id] ASC),
CONSTRAINT [FK_Employee_Image_To_Employee_Table] FOREIGN KEY ([employee_id]) REFERENCES [dbo].[Employee] ([employee_id])
);
If you remove some of the columns (e.g. the file_extension) like this (and try to update):
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Employee_Image] (
[user_image_id] INT IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL,
[employee_id] INT NULL,
[user_image] VARBINARY (MAX) NULL,
PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([user_image_id] ASC),
CONSTRAINT [AK_Employee_Image_employee_id] UNIQUE NONCLUSTERED ([employee_id] ASC),
CONSTRAINT [FK_Employee_Image_To_Employee_Table] FOREIGN KEY ([employee_id]) REFERENCES [dbo].[Employee] ([employee_id])
);
The "Preparing Update Script" is going to load like FOREVER. But if you also remove the file_extension column in your stored procedure like this (then the "Preparing Update Script" is going to complete fast):
INSERT INTO dbo.Employee_Image
(user_image,
employee_id
)
VALUES
(#user_image,
#FK_Employee_Image_To_Employee_Table
)