How do I count the number of columns in each table?

I want to write a script to listing the tables in my database with the number of columns in that table.

Like this:

table name      number       
---------       --------     
table1            1         
table2            13        
table3            2         
table4            6

You can look at columns in sys.columns:


Returns a row for each column of an object that has columns, such as views or tables. The following is a list of object types that have columns:

• Table-valued assembly functions (FT)

• Inline table-valued SQL functions (IF)

• Internal tables (IT)

• System tables (S)

• Table-valued SQL functions (TF)

• User tables (U)

• Views (V)

For columns count in tables, this query can be used:

SELECT [Schema] = s.name
    , [Table] = t.name
    , number = COUNT(*)
FROM sys.columns c
INNER JOIN sys.tables t ON c.object_id = t.object_id
INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
GROUP BY t.name, s.name

• sys.tables can be replaced by sys.views for count in views

-
sys.objects can also be used with a WHERE clause on required type(s):

SELECT [Schema] = s.name
    , [Table] = o.name
    , number = COUNT(*)
    , o.type_desc
FROM sys.columns c
INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id = o.object_id
INNER JOIN sys.schemas s ON o.schema_id = s.schema_id
WHERE type IN (
    'U'     --> U = Table (user-defined)
    , 'V'   --> V = View
    , ...) 
GROUP BY o.name, s.name, o.type_desc;

This would work too although it is preferable (read The case against INFORMATION_SCHEMA views from Aaron Bertrand) to use the first query:

SELECT TABLE_SCHEMA
    , TABLE_NAME
    , number = COUNT(*) 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
GROUP BY TABLE_SCHEMA, TABLE_NAME;

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#129419, answer score: 20