T-SQL script to generate pretty SELECTs to start researching an undocumented SQL Server database

start-database-research.sql

/* 
|| T-SQL script to generate pretty SELECTs to start researching an undocumented SQL Server database
*/

declare @crlf varchar(2);
set @crlf = CHAR(13); /* crlf is really CHAR(10)+CHAR(13) but doesn't print right in messages window */

declare @query_catalog nvarchar(50),
        @query_schema nvarchar(50),
        @query_table nvarchar(50),
        @query_column nvarchar(50),
        @query nvarchar(max);

declare table_cursor cursor for
select TABLE_CATALOG,
       TABLE_SCHEMA,
       TABLE_NAME
  from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
 order by TABLE_CATALOG asc,
       TABLE_SCHEMA asc,
       TABLE_NAME asc;

open table_cursor;

/* Get initial table */
fetch next from table_cursor
 into @query_catalog,
      @query_schema,
      @query_table;

/* Start table cursor loop */
while @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 begin 

set @query = '/* ' + @query_catalog + '.' + @query_schema + '.' + @query_table + 
             @crlf + /* yes, this is how i like my comments. */
             '*/' + @crlf + 'select ';

declare column_cursor cursor for
select COLUMN_NAME
  from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
 where TABLE_CATALOG = @query_catalog
   and TABLE_SCHEMA = @query_schema
   and TABLE_NAME = @query_table
 order by ORDINAL_POSITION asc 

open column_cursor;

/* Get the initial column */
fetch next from column_cursor
 into @query_column;
set @query = @query + '[' + @query_column + ']'

/* Attempt to get another column from the table */
fetch next from column_cursor
 into @query_column;

/* If there's any more columns, print them all pretty */
while @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 begin 
set @query = @query + ',' + @crlf + '       [' + @query_column + ']';
fetch next from column_cursor
 into @query_column;
end; 

close column_cursor;
deallocate column_cursor;

set @query = @query + @crlf + '  from [' + @query_catalog + '].[' + @query_schema + '].[' + @query_table + ']'+ @crlf;
print @query;

/* Attempt to get the next table */
fetch next from table_cursor
 into @query_catalog,
      @query_schema,
      @query_table;

end; /* table_cursor loop */

close table_cursor;
deallocate table_cursor;