Select columns with NULL values only

How do I select all the columns in a table that only contain NULL values for all the rows? I'm using MS SQL Server 2005. I'm trying to find out which columns are not used in the table so I can delete them.

Here is the sql 2005 or later version: Replace ADDR_Address with your tablename.

declare @col varchar(255), @cmd varchar(max)

DECLARE getinfo cursor for
SELECT c.name FROM sys.tables t JOIN sys.columns c ON t.Object_ID = c.Object_ID
WHERE t.Name = 'ADDR_Address'

OPEN getinfo

FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo into @col

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
	SELECT @cmd = 'IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT top 1 * FROM ADDR_Address WHERE [' + @col + '] IS NOT NULL) BEGIN print ''' + @col + ''' end'
	EXEC(@cmd)
	
	FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo into @col
END

CLOSE getinfo
DEALLOCATE getinfo

SELECT cols
FROM table
WHERE cols IS NULL

This should give you a list of all columns in the table "Person" that has only NULL-values. You will get the results as multiple result-sets, which are either empty or contains the name of a single column. You need to replace "Person" in two places to use it with another table.

DECLARE crs CURSOR LOCAL FAST_FORWARD FOR SELECT name FROM syscolumns WHERE id=OBJECT_ID('Person')
OPEN crs
DECLARE @name sysname
FETCH NEXT FROM crs INTO @name
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
    EXEC('SELECT ''' + @name + ''' WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM Person WHERE ' + @name + ' IS NOT NULL)')
    FETCH NEXT FROM crs INTO @name
END
CLOSE crs
DEALLOCATE crs

Here is an updated version of Bryan's query for 2008 and later. It uses INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS, adds variables for the table schema and table name. The column data type was added to the output. Including the column data type helps when looking for a column of a particular data type. I didn't added the column widths or anything.

For output the RAISERROR ... WITH NOWAIT is used so text will display immediately instead of all at once (for the most part) at the end like PRINT does.

SET NOCOUNT ON;

DECLARE
 @ColumnName sysname
,@DataType nvarchar(128)
,@cmd nvarchar(max)
,@TableSchema nvarchar(128) = 'dbo'
,@TableName sysname = 'TableName';

DECLARE getinfo CURSOR FOR
SELECT
	 c.COLUMN_NAME
	,c.DATA_TYPE
FROM
	INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS c
WHERE
	c.TABLE_SCHEMA = @TableSchema
	AND c.TABLE_NAME = @TableName;

OPEN getinfo;

FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo INTO @ColumnName, @DataType;

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
    SET @cmd = N'IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM ' + @TableSchema + N'.' + @TableName + N' WHERE [' + @ColumnName + N'] IS NOT NULL) RAISERROR(''' + @ColumnName + N' (' + @DataType + N')'', 0, 0) WITH NOWAIT;';
    EXECUTE (@cmd);

    FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo INTO @ColumnName, @DataType;
END;

CLOSE getinfo;
DEALLOCATE getinfo;

Or did you want to just see if a column only has NULL values (and, thus, is probably unused)?

Further clarification of the question might help.

EDIT: Ok.. here's some really rough code to get you going...

SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @TableName Varchar(100)
SET @TableName='YourTableName'
CREATE TABLE #NullColumns (ColumnName Varchar(100), OnlyNulls BIT)
INSERT INTO #NullColumns (ColumnName, OnlyNulls) SELECT c.name, 0 FROM syscolumns c INNER JOIN sysobjects o ON c.id = o.id AND o.name = @TableName AND o.xtype = 'U'
DECLARE @DynamicSQL AS Nvarchar(2000)
DECLARE @ColumnName Varchar(100)
DECLARE @RC INT
	SELECT TOP 1 @ColumnName = ColumnName FROM #NullColumns WHERE OnlyNulls=0
	WHILE @@ROWCOUNT > 0
	BEGIN
	    SET @RC=0
	    SET @DynamicSQL = 'SELECT TOP 1 1 As HasNonNulls FROM ' + @TableName + ' (nolock) WHERE ''' + @ColumnName + ''' IS NOT NULL'
        EXEC sp_executesql @DynamicSQL
        set @RC=@@rowcount
        IF @RC=1
        BEGIN
            SET @DynamicSQL = 'UPDATE #NullColumns SET OnlyNulls=1 WHERE ColumnName=''' + @ColumnName + ''''
            EXEC sp_executesql @DynamicSQL
        END
        ELSE
        BEGIN
            SET @DynamicSQL = 'DELETE FROM #NullColumns WHERE ColumnName=''' + @ColumnName+ ''''
            EXEC sp_executesql @DynamicSQL
        END
	SELECT TOP 1 @ColumnName = ColumnName FROM #NullColumns WHERE OnlyNulls=0
	END

SELECT * FROM #NullColumns

DROP TABLE #NullColumns
SET NOCOUNT OFF

Yes, there are easier ways, but I have a meeting to go to right now. Good luck!

You can do:

select 
  count(<columnName>)
from
  <tableName>

If the count returns 0 that means that all rows in that column all NULL (or there is no rows at all in the table)

can be changed to

select 
	case(count(<columnName>)) when 0 then 'Nulls Only' else 'Some Values' end
from 
	<tableName>

If you want to automate it you can use system tables to iterate the column names in the table you are interested in

If you need to list all rows where all the column values are NULL, then i'd use the COLLATE function. This takes a list of values and returns the first non-null value. If you add all the column names to the list, then use IS NULL, you should get all the rows containing only nulls.

SELECT * FROM MyTable WHERE COLLATE(Col1, Col2, Col3, Col4......) IS NULL

You shouldn't really have any tables with ALL the columns null, as this means you don't have a primary key (not allowed to be null). Not having a primary key is something to be avoided; this breaks the first normal form.

Try this -

DECLARE @table VARCHAR(100) = 'dbo.table'

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = ''

SELECT @sql = @sql + 'IF NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM ' + @table + ' WHERE ' + c.name + ' IS NOT NULL) PRINT ''' + c.name + ''''
FROM sys.objects o
JOIN sys.columns c ON o.[object_id] = c.[object_id]
WHERE o.[type] = 'U'
	AND o.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID(@table)
	AND c.is_nullable = 1
	
EXEC(@sql)

Not actually sure about 2005, but 2008 ate it:

USE [DATABASE_NAME]	-- !
GO

DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @TableName VARCHAR(255)

SET @TableName = 'TABLE_NAME'	-- !

SELECT @SQL = 
(
	SELECT 
		CHAR(10)
		+'DELETE FROM ['+t1.TABLE_CATALOG+'].['+t1.TABLE_SCHEMA+'].['+t1.TABLE_NAME+'] WHERE '
		+(
			SELECT  
			CASE t2.ORDINAL_POSITION 
				WHEN (SELECT MIN(t3.ORDINAL_POSITION) FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS t3 WHERE t3.TABLE_NAME=t2.TABLE_NAME) THEN ''
				ELSE  'AND '
			END
			+'['+COLUMN_NAME+'] IS NULL' AS 'data()'
			FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS t2 WHERE t2.TABLE_NAME=t1.TABLE_NAME FOR XML PATH('')
		 )	AS 'data()'
	FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES t1 WHERE t1.TABLE_NAME = @TableName FOR XML PATH('')
)

SELECT @SQL -- EXEC(@SQL)

Here I have created a script for any kind of SQL table. please copy this stored procedure and create this on your Environment and run this stored procedure with your Table.

exec [dbo].[SP_RemoveNullValues] 'Your_Table_Name'

stored procedure

GO
/****** Object:  StoredProcedure [dbo].[SP_RemoveNullValues]    Script Date: 09/09/2019 11:26:53 AM ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
-- akila liyanaarachchi
Create procedure [dbo].[SP_RemoveNullValues](@PTableName Varchar(50) ) as 
begin


DECLARE Cussor CURSOR FOR 
SELECT COLUMN_NAME,TABLE_NAME,DATA_TYPE
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME = @PTableName  

OPEN Cussor;

Declare @ColumnName Varchar(50)
Declare @TableName  Varchar(50)
Declare @DataType Varchar(50)
Declare @Flage  int 

FETCH NEXT FROM Cussor INTO @ColumnName,@TableName,@DataType
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN

set @Flage=0


If(@DataType in('bigint','numeric','bit','smallint','decimal','smallmoney','int','tinyint','money','float','real'))
begin
set @Flage=1
end 
If(@DataType in('date','atetimeoffset','datetime2','smalldatetime','datetime','time'))
begin
set @Flage=2
end 
If(@DataType in('char','varchar','text','nchar','nvarchar','ntext'))
begin
set @Flage=3
end 

If(@DataType in('binary','varbinary'))
begin
set @Flage=4
end 



DECLARE @SQL VARCHAR(MAX) 

if  (@Flage in(1,4))
begin 

SET @SQL ='  update ['+@TableName+'] set ['+@ColumnName+']=0 where ['+@ColumnName+'] is null'
end 

if  (@Flage =3)
begin 

SET @SQL ='  update ['+@TableName+'] set ['+@ColumnName+'] = '''' where ['+@ColumnName+'] is null '
end 

if  (@Flage =2)
begin 

SET @SQL ='  update ['+@TableName+'] set ['+@ColumnName+'] ='+'''1901-01-01 00:00:00.000'''+' where ['+@ColumnName+'] is null '
end 


EXEC(@SQL)



FETCH NEXT FROM Cussor INTO @ColumnName,@TableName,@DataType
END

CLOSE Cussor
DEALLOCATE Cussor

END

You'll have to loop over the set of columns and check each one. You should be able to get a list of all columns with a DESCRIBE table command.

Pseudo-code:

foreach $column ($cols) {
query("SELECT count(*) FROM table WHERE $column IS NOT NULL")
if($result is zero)  {
# $column contains only null values"
push @onlyNullColumns, $column;
} else {
# $column contains non-null values
}
}
return @onlyNullColumns;

I know this seems a little counterintuitive but SQL does not provide a native method of selecting columns, only rows.

I would also recommend to search for fields which all have the same value, not just NULL.

That is, for each column in each table do the query:

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT field) FROM tableName

and concentrate on those which return 1 as a result.

SELECT  t.column_name
FROM    user_tab_columns t
WHERE   t.nullable = 'Y' AND t.table_name = 'table name here' AND t.num_distinct = 0;

An updated version of 'user2466387' version, with an additional small test which can improve performance, because it's useless to test non nullable columns:

AND IS_NULLABLE = 'YES'

The full code:

SET NOCOUNT ON;

DECLARE
 @ColumnName sysname
,@DataType nvarchar(128)
,@cmd nvarchar(max)
,@TableSchema nvarchar(128) = 'dbo'
,@TableName sysname = 'TableName';

DECLARE getinfo CURSOR FOR
SELECT
     c.COLUMN_NAME
    ,c.DATA_TYPE
FROM
    INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS c
WHERE
    c.TABLE_SCHEMA = @TableSchema
    AND c.TABLE_NAME = @TableName
	AND IS_NULLABLE = 'YES';

OPEN getinfo;

FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo INTO @ColumnName, @DataType;

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
    SET @cmd = N'IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM ' + @TableSchema + N'.' + @TableName + N' WHERE [' + @ColumnName + N'] IS NOT NULL) RAISERROR(''' + @ColumnName + N' (' + @DataType + N')'', 0, 0) WITH NOWAIT;';
    EXECUTE (@cmd);

    FETCH NEXT FROM getinfo INTO @ColumnName, @DataType;
END;

CLOSE getinfo;
DEALLOCATE getinfo;

You might need to clarify a bit. What are you really trying to accomplish? If you really want to find out the column names that only contain null values, then you will have to loop through the scheama and do a dynamic query based on that.

I don't know which DBMS you are using, so I'll put some pseudo-code here.

for each col
begin
  @cmd = 'if not exists (select * from tablename where ' + col + ' is not null begin print ' + col + ' end'
exec(@cmd)
end