How can I list all foreign keys referencing a given table in SQL Server?

I need to remove a highly referenced table in a SQL Server database. How can I get a list of all the foreign key constraints I will need to remove in order to drop the table?

(SQL answers preferable over clicking about in the GUI of the management studio.)

SELECT PKTABLE_QUALIFIER = CONVERT(SYSNAME,DB_NAME()),
PKTABLE_OWNER = CONVERT(SYSNAME,SCHEMA_NAME(O1.SCHEMA_ID)),
PKTABLE_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,O1.NAME),
PKCOLUMN_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,C1.NAME),
FKTABLE_QUALIFIER = CONVERT(SYSNAME,DB_NAME()),
FKTABLE_OWNER = CONVERT(SYSNAME,SCHEMA_NAME(O2.SCHEMA_ID)),
FKTABLE_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,O2.NAME),
FKCOLUMN_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,C2.NAME),
-- Force the column to be non-nullable (see SQL BU 325751)
--KEY_SEQ = isnull(convert(smallint,k.constraint_column_id), sysconv(smallint,0)),
UPDATE_RULE = CONVERT(SMALLINT,CASE OBJECTPROPERTY(F.OBJECT_ID,'CnstIsUpdateCascade')
WHEN 1 THEN 0
ELSE 1
END),
DELETE_RULE = CONVERT(SMALLINT,CASE OBJECTPROPERTY(F.OBJECT_ID,'CnstIsDeleteCascade')
WHEN 1 THEN 0
ELSE 1
END),
FK_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,OBJECT_NAME(F.OBJECT_ID)),
PK_NAME = CONVERT(SYSNAME,I.NAME),
DEFERRABILITY = CONVERT(SMALLINT,7) -- SQL_NOT_DEFERRABLE
FROM SYS.ALL_OBJECTS O1,
SYS.ALL_OBJECTS O2,
SYS.ALL_COLUMNS C1,
SYS.ALL_COLUMNS C2,
SYS.FOREIGN_KEYS F
INNER JOIN SYS.FOREIGN_KEY_COLUMNS K
ON (K.CONSTRAINT_OBJECT_ID = F.OBJECT_ID)
INNER JOIN SYS.INDEXES I
ON (F.REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID = I.OBJECT_ID
AND F.KEY_INDEX_ID = I.INDEX_ID)
WHERE O1.OBJECT_ID = F.REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID
AND O2.OBJECT_ID = F.PARENT_OBJECT_ID
AND C1.OBJECT_ID = F.REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID
AND C2.OBJECT_ID = F.PARENT_OBJECT_ID
AND C1.COLUMN_ID = K.REFERENCED_COLUMN_ID
AND C2.COLUMN_ID = K.PARENT_COLUMN_ID

Working off of what @Gishu did I was able to produce and use the following SQL in SQL Server 2005

SELECT t.name AS TableWithForeignKey, fk.constraint_column_id AS FK_PartNo,
c.name AS ForeignKeyColumn, o.name AS FK_Name
FROM sys.foreign_key_columns AS fk
INNER JOIN sys.tables AS t ON fk.parent_object_id = t.object_id
INNER JOIN sys.columns AS c ON fk.parent_object_id = c.object_id
AND fk.parent_column_id = c.column_id
INNER JOIN sys.objects AS o ON fk.constraint_object_id = o.object_id
WHERE fk.referenced_object_id = (SELECT object_id FROM sys.tables
WHERE name = 'TableOthersForeignKeyInto')
ORDER BY TableWithForeignKey, FK_PartNo;

Which Displays the tables, columns and Foreign Key names all in 1 query.

Some good answers above. But I prefer to have the answer with *one* query.
This piece of code is taken from sys.sp_helpconstraint (sys proc)

That's the way Microsoft looks up if there are foreign keys associated to the tbl.



--setup variables. Just change 'Customer' to tbl you want
declare @objid int,
@objname nvarchar(776)
select @objname = 'Customer'
select @objid = object_id(@objname)

if exists (select * from sys.foreign_keys where referenced_object_id = @objid)
select 'Table is referenced by foreign key' =
db_name() + '.'
+ rtrim(schema_name(ObjectProperty(parent_object_id,'schemaid')))
+ '.' + object_name(parent_object_id)
+ ': ' + object_name(object_id)
from sys.foreign_keys
where referenced_object_id = @objid
order by 1

The answer will look like this: test_db_name.dbo.Account: FK_Account_Customer

SELECT OBJECT_NAME(fk.parent_object_id) as ReferencingTable,
OBJECT_NAME(fk.constraint_object_id) as [FKContraint]
FROM sys.foreign_key_columns as fk
WHERE fk.referenced_object_id = OBJECT_ID('ReferencedTable', 'U')

This only shows the relationship if the are foreign key constraints. My database apparently predates the FK constraint.Some table use triggers to enforce referential integrity, and sometimes there's nothing but a similarly named column to indicate the relationship (and no referential integrity at all).

Fortunately, we do have a consistent naming scene so I am able to find referencing tables
and views like this:

SELECT OBJECT_NAME(object_id) from sys.columns where name like 'client_id'

I used this select as the basis for generating a script the does what I need to do on
the related tables.

SELECT
object_name(parent_object_id),
object_name(referenced_object_id),
name
FROM sys.foreign_keys
WHERE parent_object_id = object_id('Table Name')

You should also mind the references to other objects.

If the table was highly referenced by other tables than it’s probably also highly referenced by other objects such as views, stored procedures, functions and more.

I’d really recommend GUI tool such as ‘view dependencies’ dialog in SSMS or free tool like [ApexSQL Search](

[To see links please register here]

) for this because searching for dependencies in other objects can be error prone if you want to do it only with SQL.

If SQL is the only option you could try doing it like this.

select O.name as [Object_Name], C.text as [Object_Definition]
from sys.syscomments C
inner join sys.all_objects O ON C.id = O.object_id
where C.text like '%table_name%'

**Determine primary keys and unique keys for all tables in a database...**

This should list all the constraints and at the end you can put your filters

/* CAST IS DONE , SO THAT OUTPUT INTEXT FILE REMAINS WITH SCREEN LIMIT*/
WITH ALL_KEYS_IN_TABLE (CONSTRAINT_NAME,CONSTRAINT_TYPE,PARENT_TABLE_NAME,PARENT_COL_NAME,PARENT_COL_NAME_DATA_TYPE,REFERENCE_TABLE_NAME,REFERENCE_COL_NAME)
AS
(
SELECT CONSTRAINT_NAME= CAST (PKnUKEY.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
CONSTRAINT_TYPE=CAST (PKnUKEY.type_desc AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
PARENT_TABLE_NAME=CAST (PKnUTable.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
PARENT_COL_NAME=CAST ( PKnUKEYCol.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
PARENT_COL_NAME_DATA_TYPE= oParentColDtl.DATA_TYPE,
REFERENCE_TABLE_NAME='' ,
REFERENCE_COL_NAME=''

FROM sys.key_constraints as PKnUKEY
INNER JOIN sys.tables as PKnUTable
ON PKnUTable.object_id = PKnUKEY.parent_object_id
INNER JOIN sys.index_columns as PKnUColIdx
ON PKnUColIdx.object_id = PKnUTable.object_id
AND PKnUColIdx.index_id = PKnUKEY.unique_index_id
INNER JOIN sys.columns as PKnUKEYCol
ON PKnUKEYCol.object_id = PKnUTable.object_id
AND PKnUKEYCol.column_id = PKnUColIdx.column_id
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS oParentColDtl
ON oParentColDtl.TABLE_NAME=PKnUTable.name
AND oParentColDtl.COLUMN_NAME=PKnUKEYCol.name
UNION ALL
SELECT CONSTRAINT_NAME= CAST (oConstraint.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
CONSTRAINT_TYPE='FK',
PARENT_TABLE_NAME=CAST (oParent.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
PARENT_COL_NAME=CAST ( oParentCol.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
PARENT_COL_NAME_DATA_TYPE= oParentColDtl.DATA_TYPE,
REFERENCE_TABLE_NAME=CAST ( oReference.name AS VARCHAR(30)) ,
REFERENCE_COL_NAME=CAST (oReferenceCol.name AS VARCHAR(30))
FROM sys.foreign_key_columns FKC
INNER JOIN sys.sysobjects oConstraint
ON FKC.constraint_object_id=oConstraint.id
INNER JOIN sys.sysobjects oParent
ON FKC.parent_object_id=oParent.id
INNER JOIN sys.all_columns oParentCol
ON FKC.parent_object_id=oParentCol.object_id /* ID of the object to which this column belongs.*/
AND FKC.parent_column_id=oParentCol.column_id/* ID of the column. Is unique within the object.Column IDs might not be sequential.*/
INNER JOIN sys.sysobjects oReference
ON FKC.referenced_object_id=oReference.id
INNER JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS oParentColDtl
ON oParentColDtl.TABLE_NAME=oParent.name
AND oParentColDtl.COLUMN_NAME=oParentCol.name
INNER JOIN sys.all_columns oReferenceCol
ON FKC.referenced_object_id=oReferenceCol.object_id /* ID of the object to which this column belongs.*/
AND FKC.referenced_column_id=oReferenceCol.column_id/* ID of the column. Is unique within the object.Column IDs might not be sequential.*/

)

select * from ALL_KEYS_IN_TABLE
where
PARENT_TABLE_NAME in ('YOUR_TABLE_NAME')
or REFERENCE_TABLE_NAME in ('YOUR_TABLE_NAME')
ORDER BY PARENT_TABLE_NAME,CONSTRAINT_NAME;


For reference please read thru -

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SELECT
OBJECT_NAME(parent_object_id) 'Parent table',
c.NAME 'Parent column name',
OBJECT_NAME(referenced_object_id) 'Referenced table',
cref.NAME 'Referenced column name'
FROM
sys.foreign_key_columns fkc
INNER JOIN
sys.columns c
ON fkc.parent_column_id = c.column_id
AND fkc.parent_object_id = c.object_id
INNER JOIN
sys.columns cref
ON fkc.referenced_column_id = cref.column_id
AND fkc.referenced_object_id = cref.object_id where OBJECT_NAME(parent_object_id) = 'tablename'

If you want to get the foreign key relation of all the tables exclude the `where` clause else write your tablename instead of `tablename`

This gives you:

* The FK itself itself
* Schema that the FK belongs to
* The "*referencing table*" or the table that has the FK
* The "*referencing column*" or the column inside referencing table that points to the FK
* The "*referenced table*" or the table that has the key column that your FK is pointing to
* The "*referenced column*" or the column that is the key that your FK is pointing to

Code below:

SELECT obj.name AS FK_NAME,
sch.name AS [schema_name],
tab1.name AS [table],
col1.name AS [column],
tab2.name AS [referenced_table],
col2.name AS [referenced_column]
FROM sys.foreign_key_columns fkc
INNER JOIN sys.objects obj
ON obj.object_id = fkc.constraint_object_id
INNER JOIN sys.tables tab1
ON tab1.object_id = fkc.parent_object_id
INNER JOIN sys.schemas sch
ON tab1.schema_id = sch.schema_id
INNER JOIN sys.columns col1
ON col1.column_id = parent_column_id AND col1.object_id = tab1.object_id
INNER JOIN sys.tables tab2
ON tab2.object_id = fkc.referenced_object_id
INNER JOIN sys.columns col2
ON col2.column_id = referenced_column_id AND col2.object_id = tab2.object_id