Generate Data Dictionary from SQL Server

Introduction  

This tip shows how to find out table description and dependency with other tables.

Using the code

In any SQL Server database (any version of SQL Server) just create a Stored Procedure [spGenerateDBDictionary] that is given as attachment, and exec [spGenerateDBDictionary]. Then the procedure will return tables information with table name, data, attributes, data types, IsNullable info, primary key, foreign key constraints, any reference with another table, and the details description, but remember that the description will come from the description field where you give any description at the time of table creation.

CREATE proc [dbo].[spGenerateDBDictionary]
AS
BEGIN
select a.name [Table],b.name [Attribute],c.name [DataType],b.isnullable [Allow Nulls?],CASE WHEN
d.name is null THEN 0 ELSE 1 END [PKey?],
CASE WHEN e.parent_object_id is null THEN 0 ELSE 1 END [FKey?],CASE WHEN e.parent_object_id
is null THEN '-' ELSE g.name  END [Ref Table],
CASE WHEN h.value is null THEN '-' ELSE h.value END [Description]
from sysobjects as a
join syscolumns as b on a.id = b.id
join systypes as c on b.xtype = c.xtype
left join (SELECT  so.id,sc.colid,sc.name
     FROM    syscolumns sc
     JOIN sysobjects so ON so.id = sc.id
     JOIN sysindexkeys si ON so.id = si.id
                   and sc.colid = si.colid
     WHERE si.indid = 1) d on a.id = d.id and b.colid = d.colid
left join sys.foreign_key_columns as e on a.id = e.parent_object_id and b.colid = e.parent_column_id    
left join sys.objects as g on e.referenced_object_id = g.object_id  
left join sys.extended_properties as h on a.id = h.major_id and b.colid = h.minor_id
where a.type = 'U' order by a.name
END