INDEXKEY_PROPERTY (Transact-SQL)

Returns information about the index key. Returns NULL for XML indexes.

Important

This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature. Instead, use sys.index_columns (Transact-SQL).

Topic link iconTransact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

INDEXKEY_PROPERTY (object_ID,index_ID,key_ID,property )

Arguments

  • object_ID
    Is the object identification number of the table or indexed view. object_ID is int.

  • index_ID
    Is the index identification number. index_ID is int.

  • key_ID
    Is the index key column position. key_ID is int.

  • property
    Is the name of the property for which information will be returned. property is a character string and can be one of the following values.

    Value

    Description

    ColumnId

    Column ID at the key_ID position of the index.

    IsDescending

    Order in which the index column is stored.

    1 = Descending 0 = Ascending

Return Types

int

Exceptions

Returns NULL on error or if a caller does not have permission to view the object.

A user can only view the metadata of securables that the user owns or on which the user has been granted permission. This means that metadata-emitting, built-in functions such as INDEXKEY_PROPERTY may return NULL if the user does not have any permission on the object. For more information, see Metadata Visibility Configuration and Troubleshooting Metadata Visibility.

Examples

In the following example, both properties are returned for index ID 1, key column 1 in the Production.Location table.

USE AdventureWorks2008R2;
GO
SELECT 
    INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(OBJECT_ID('Production.Location', 'U'),
        1,1,'ColumnId') AS [Column ID],
    INDEXKEY_PROPERTY(OBJECT_ID('Production.Location', 'U'),
        1,1,'IsDescending') AS [Asc or Desc order];

Here is the result set:

Column ID   Asc or Desc order 
----------- ----------------- 
1           0

(1 row(s) affected)