title: Visual Studio 2013 database project drop column
body: <p>Does anyone know the best way to drop an existing column from the database when there are rows of data in the datatable.</p>
  
  <p>What I tried doesn't seem to want to work.  I included a pre deployment script in with the database project that does</p>
  
  <pre><code>GO
  if exists(select * from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS where TABLE_NAME = 'Mercury.dbo.Discounts' and COLUMN_NAME = 'ColumnToRemove')
  BEGIN
      ALTER TABLE Database.dbo.Table1 Drop Column ColumnToRemove
  END
  GO
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Then in the script that created the table in the first place I deleted the column in question from the Create Table Script</p>
  
  <p>When execution of the dacpac was done I get the following</p>
  
  <pre><code>Initializing deployment (Start)
  *** The column [dbo].[Table1].[ColumnToRemove] is being dropped, data loss could occur.
  Initializing deployment (Complete)
  Analyzing deployment plan (Start)
  Analyzing deployment plan (Complete)
  Updating database (Start)
  An error occurred while the batch was being executed.
  Updating database (Failed)
  *** Could not deploy package.
  Warning SQL72015: The column [dbo].[Table1].[ColumnToRemove] is being dropped, data loss could occur.
  Error SQL72014: .Net SqlClient Data Provider: Msg 50000, Level 16, State 127, Line 6 Rows were detected. The schema update is terminating because data loss might occur.
  Error SQL72045: Script execution error.  The executed script:
  IF EXISTS (SELECT TOP 1 1
             FROM   [dbo].[Table1])
      RAISERROR (N'Rows were detected. The schema update is terminating because data loss might occur.', 16, 127)
          WITH NOWAIT;    
  </code></pre>