CREATE TABLE dbo.Employee ( EmployeeID INT IDENTITY (1,1) NOT NULL ,FirstName VARCHAR(50) NULL ,MiddleName VARCHAR(50) NULL ,LastName VARCHAR(50) NULL ,DateHired datetime NOT NULL ) -- Change column name sp_rename 'table name','old column name','column' -- Change the datatype to support 100 characters and make NOT NULL ALTER TABLE dbo.Employee ALTER COLUMN FirstName VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL -- Change datatype and allow NULLs for DateHired ALTER TABLE dbo.Employee ALTER COLUMN DateHired SMALLDATETIME NULL -- Set SPARSE columns for Middle Name (sql server 2008 only) ALTER TABLE dbo.Employee ALTER COLUMN MiddleName VARCHAR(100) SPARSE NULL