DB2 - catalog schema

syscat is IBM DB2's system catalog schema

• syscat.columns contains column metadata
• syscat.tables contains table metadata
• syscat.views contains view metadata

So the query:

SELECT * FROM syscat.columns WHERE tabname= 'tablename'

This is specifically DB2 syntax for column enumeration, not Microsoft SQL Server.

mssql equivalents for system catalogs include:

• sysobjects and syscolumns (older, compatibility views)
• sys.tables and sys.columns (newer system views)
• information_schema.columns (ANSI standard)

Each database system has its own system catalog naming conventions:

• mssql: sys.* or sysobjects/syscolumns
• DB2: syscat.*
• Oracle: all_*, user_*, dba_*
• PostgreSQL: pg_*