Rename SQL Server Schema - sql

Question

How can I rename a schema using SQL Server?

Answer 1

If you have a large number of objects in a schema, you can use something like this to generate all the changes automatically (it only does tables and views, so before you run it, you might need to expand it to SPs, UDFs, etc.)
USE SandBox
DECLARE #OldSchema AS varchar(255)
DECLARE #NewSchema AS varchar(255)
DECLARE #newLine AS varchar(2) = CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
SET #OldSchema = 'dbo'
SET #NewSchema = 'StackOverflow'
DECLARE #sql AS varchar(MAX)
SET #sql = 'CREATE SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + ']' + #newLine
SELECT #sql = #sql + 'GO' + #newLine
SELECT #sql = #sql + 'ALTER SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + '] TRANSFER [' + TABLE_SCHEMA + '].[' + TABLE_NAME + ']'
+ #newLine
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = #OldSchema
SET #sql = #sql + 'DROP SCHEMA [' + #OldSchema + ']'
PRINT #sql -- NOTE PRINT HAS AN 8000 byte limit - 8000 varchar/4000 nvarchar - see comments
IF (0=1) EXEC (#sql)

Answer 2

You move individual objects from one schema to another via:
ALTER SCHEMA NewSchema TRANSFER OldSchema.Object;

Answer 3

I have combined both codes above and used cursors to not be limited by the size of the string variables, executing the commands individually. I assume you have already created the new schema and will drop the old one after certifying all is ok. It's safer... :)
DECLARE #OldSchema AS varchar(255)
DECLARE #NewSchema AS varchar(255)
SET #OldSchema = 'dbo'
SET #NewSchema = 'StackOverflow'
DECLARE #sql AS varchar(MAX)
DECLARE #Schema AS varchar(MAX)
DECLARE #Obj AS varchar(MAX)
-- First transfer Tables and Views
DECLARE CU_OBJS CURSOR FOR
SELECT TABLE_SCHEMA, TABLE_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = #OldSchema
OPEN CU_OBJS
FETCH NEXT FROM CU_OBJS
INTO #Schema, #Obj
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
SELECT #sql = 'ALTER SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + '] TRANSFER [' + #OldSchema + '].[' + #Obj + ']'
PRINT #sql
-- EXEC (#sql)
FETCH NEXT FROM CU_OBJS
INTO #Schema, #Obj
END
CLOSE CU_OBJS
DEALLOCATE CU_OBJS
-- Now transfer Stored Procedures
DECLARE CU_OBJS CURSOR FOR
SELECT sys.schemas.name, sys.procedures.name
FROM sys.procedures,sys.schemas
WHERE sys.procedures.schema_id=sys.schemas.schema_id and sys.schemas.name = #OldSchema
OPEN CU_OBJS
FETCH NEXT FROM CU_OBJS
INTO #Schema, #Obj
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
SELECT #sql = 'ALTER SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + '] TRANSFER [' + #Schema + '].[' + #Obj + ']'
PRINT #sql
-- EXEC (#sql)
FETCH NEXT FROM CU_OBJS
INTO #Schema, #Obj
END
CLOSE CU_OBJS
DEALLOCATE CU_OBJS

Answer 4

The stored procedure to rename the schema which has more tables in SQL server 2008
IF OBJECT_ID ( 'dbo.RenameSchema', 'P' ) IS NOT NULL
DROP PROCEDURE dbo.RenameSchema;
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.RenameSchema
#OLDNAME varchar(500),
#NEWNAME varchar(500)
AS
/*check for oldschema exist or not */
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.schemas WHERE name = #OLDNAME)
BEGIN
RETURN
END
/* Create the schema with new name */
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.schemas WHERE name = #NEWNAME)
BEGIN
EXECUTE( 'CREATE SCHEMA ' + #NEWNAME );
END
/* get the object under the old schema and transfer those objects to new schema */
DECLARE Schema_Cursor CURSOR FOR
SELECT ' ALTER SCHEMA ' + #NEWNAME + ' TRANSFER '+ SCHEMA_NAME(SCHEMA_ID)+'.'+ name
as ALTSQL from sys.objects WHERE type IN ('U','V','P','Fn') AND
SCHEMA_NAME(SCHEMA_ID) = #OLDNAME;
OPEN Schema_Cursor;
DECLARE #SQL varchar(500)
FETCH NEXT FROM Schema_Cursor INTO #SQL;
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
exec (#SQL)
FETCH NEXT FROM Schema_Cursor INTO #SQL;
END;
CLOSE Schema_Cursor;
DEALLOCATE Schema_Cursor;
/* drop the old schema which should be the user schema */
IF #OLDNAME <> 'dbo' and #OLDNAME <> 'guest'
BEGIN
EXECUTE ('DROP SCHEMA ' + #OLDNAME)
END
GO
Execute the procedure to rename the schema:
examples:
EXECUTE RenameSchema 'oldname','newname'
EXECUTE RenameSchema 'dbo','guest'

Answer 5

This is a short version but works well.
declare #sql varchar(8000), #table varchar(1000), #oldschema varchar(1000), #newschema varchar(1000)
set #oldschema = 'old'
set #newschema = 'dbo'
while exists(select * from sys.tables where schema_name(schema_id) = #oldschema)
begin
select #table = name from sys.tables
where object_id in(select min(object_id) from sys.tables where schema_name(schema_id) = #oldschema)
set #sql = 'alter schema [' + #newschema + '] transfer [' + #oldschema + '].[' + #table + ']'
exec(#sql)
end

Answer 6

For Procedures
USE DatabaseName
DECLARE #OldSchema AS varchar(255)
DECLARE #NewSchema AS varchar(255)
SET #OldSchema = 'ComputerLearn'
SET #NewSchema = 'Basic'
DECLARE #sql AS varchar(MAX)
SET #sql = 'CREATE SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + ']' + CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
SELECT #sql = #sql + 'ALTER SCHEMA [' + #NewSchema + '] TRANSFER [' + sys.schemas.name + '].[' + sys.procedures.name + ']'
+ CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
FROM sys.procedures,sys.schemas
WHERE sys.procedures.schema_id=sys.schemas.schema_id and sys.schemas.name = #OldSchema
SET #sql = #sql + 'DROP SCHEMA [' + #OldSchema + ']'
PRINT #sql
IF (0=1) EXEC (#sql)

Answer 7

Easiest solution that worked for me is:
I have just one schema dbo with two tables PopulationByCountrySTG and CountryRegionSTG
(1) I created a new schema by executing,
create schema stg
(2) I executed the following commands,
ALTER SCHEMA stg TRANSFER dbo.PopulationByCountrySTG;
ALTER SCHEMA stg TRANSFER dbo.CountryRegionSTG;
All done. Let me know if it works for you.. Thanks Guys.