---
title: "getCatalogs Method (SQLServerDatabaseMetaData) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
apiname: 
  - "SQLServerDatabaseMetaData.getCatalogs"
apilocation: 
  - "sqljdbc.jar"
apitype: "Assembly"
ms.assetid: 7f8bd0f1-f340-4bb9-b559-0a6176124033
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# getCatalogs Method (SQLServerDatabaseMetaData)
[!INCLUDE[Driver_JDBC_Download](../../../includes/driver_jdbc_download.md)]

  Retrieves the catalog names that are available in the connected server.  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
public java.sql.ResultSet getCatalogs()  
```  
  
## Return Value  
 A [SQLServerResultSet](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverresultset-class.md) object.  
  
## Exceptions  
 [SQLServerException](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverexception-class.md)  
  
## Remarks  
 This getCatalogs method is specified by the getCatalogs method in the java.sql.DatabaseMetaData interface.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  On SQL Azure, you should connect to the master database to call **SQLServerDatabaseMetaData.getCatalogs**. SQL Azure does not support returning the entire set of catalogs from a user database. **SQLServerDatabaseMetaData.getCatalogs** uses the sys.databases view to get the catalogs. Please refer to the discussion of permissions in [sys.database_usage (Azure SQL Database)](../../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-usage-azure-sql-database.md) to understand **SQLServerDatabaseMetaData.getCatalogs** behavior on SQL Azure.  
  
 The result set returned by the getCatalogs method will contain the following information:  
  
|Name|Type|Description|  
|----------|----------|-----------------|  
|TABLE_CAT|**String**|The name of the catalog, including system databases in [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../../includes/msconame_md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)].|  
  
## Example  
 The following example demonstrates how to use the getCatalogs method to return the names of all the databases that are contained in [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../../includes/msconame_md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], including the system databases.  
  
```  
public static void executeGetCatalogs(Connection con) {  
   try {  
      DatabaseMetaData dbmd = con.getMetaData();  
      ResultSet rs = dbmd.getCatalogs();  
      ResultSetMetaData rsmd = rs.getMetaData();  
  
      // Display the result set data.  
      int cols = rsmd.getColumnCount();  
      while(rs.next()) {  
         for (int i = 1; i <= cols; i++) {  
            System.out.println(rs.getString(i));  
         }  
      }  
      rs.close();  
   }   
  
   catch (Exception e) {  
      e.printStackTrace();  
   }  
}  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [SQLServerDatabaseMetaData Methods](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverdatabasemetadata-methods.md)   
 [SQLServerDatabaseMetaData Members](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverdatabasemetadata-members.md)   
 [SQLServerDatabaseMetaData Class](../../../connect/jdbc/reference/sqlserverdatabasemetadata-class.md)