Overview
The INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMN_DOMAIN_USAGE view allows you to get information about alias data types that are used for columns. By default, it shows this information for every single table and view in the database that uses an alias data type.
Explanation
This view can be called from any of the databases in an instance of SQL Server and will return the results for the data within that particular database.
The columns that this view returns are as follows:
| Column name | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DOMAIN_CATALOG | nvarchar(128) | Database in which the alias data type exists. |
| DOMAIN_SCHEMA | nvarchar(128) | Name of schema that contains the alias data type. |
| DOMAIN_NAME | sysname | Alias data type. |
| TABLE_CATALOG | nvarchar(128) | Table qualifier. |
| TABLE_SCHEMA | nvarchar(128) | Table owner. |
| TABLE_NAME | sysname | Table in which the alias data type is used. |
| COLUMN_NAME | sysname | Column using the alias data type. |
Here is an example of data that was pulled from the AdventureWorks database. This data was pulled using this query:
SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMN_DOMAIN_USAGEIn the results below, we can see that the data type “Name” in the DOMAIN_NAME column is used in several tables for columns ReviewerName (ProductReview) and Name (AddressType, ProductSubcategory, UnitMeasure).
To see the underlying data types for these aliased data types, you can use this query:
SELECT DISTINCT DOMAIN_NAME, DATA_TYPE, CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE DOMAIN_NAME IS NOT NULL
Greg Robidoux has been working with databases for 35+ years with extensive hands on SQL Server experience from version 6.5 to 2025. He has authored over 250 technical articles and delivered several presentations online and at various conventions. Greg is also the President and founder of Edgewood Solutions, a technology services company delivering services and solutions for Microsoft SQL Server.
