Renaming tables in SQL Server can be a common task, but it’s important to understand the potential issues that can arise. In this article, we will explore an interesting error message that can occur when using the sp_rename stored procedure and discuss how to resolve it.

Let’s start by looking at the error message:

Msg 15225, Level 11, State 1, Procedure sp_rename, Line 387
No item by the name of 'TableTwo' could be found in the current database 'SQLAuthority', given that @itemtype was input as '(null)'.

This error message occurs when attempting to rename a table using sp_rename and the table is not in the default schema, which is typically ‘dbo’.

To resolve this issue, we need to qualify the name of the table with the schema name. For example:

sp_rename 'HR.TableTwo', 'TableTwo_renamed'

By specifying the schema name ‘HR’ before the table name, we can successfully rename the table without encountering the error.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that if a table name contains a dot, we need to use square brackets around the table name. For example:

sp_rename '[Name.With.dot]', 'New_Name.With.dot'

Using square brackets ensures that the table name is treated as a single entity and avoids any confusion caused by the dot.

It’s important to be aware of these considerations when renaming tables in SQL Server to avoid encountering errors and ensure a smooth renaming process.

Have you encountered similar issues when renaming tables in your SQL Server environments? Feel free to share your experiences and any additional tips in the comments below.