comma separated cell data into rows

  • Hello!

    We are on SqlServer 2005.

    Let me point out at the beginning that I don't have anyway to normalize this structure or get the admins to change the way the data is stored. We don't own the database where this is housed...we're just given the information via an .xls file...which we import to a SQLServer table.

    I have some data that is given to me that has two columns (below is for an example):

    Column A is an identifiying number, i.e. for a project

    Column B is a comma separated list of account strings for the project

    A sample layout of what we get via the .xls file might look like the following (Column A is to the left of the dashes, and Column B is to the right of the dashes):

    AA.ProjectBuildTower ----- 2222, 3333, 4444, 5555

    BB.ProjectBuildFence ----- X900, 6789, 9000, 9876

    What I need to do is now haveprojects listed out in Column A with each of it's account strings in Column B like so:

    AA.ProjectBuildTower ----- 2222

    AA.ProjectBuildTower ----- 3333

    AA.ProjectBuildTower ----- 4444

    AA.ProjectBuildTower ----- 5555

    BB.ProjectBuildFence ----- X900

    BB.ProjectBuildFence ----- 6789

    BB.ProjectBuildFence ----- 9000

    BB.ProjectBuildFence ----- 9876

    Any suggestions would greatly help!

    Thanks!

  • Search for SPLIT function on this site. You'll most likely need a variation of that.

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  • Ahh...will do!

    Thanks for the heads up!

  • There was recently an article on this site about how to do this kind of thing very efficiently.

    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/TSQL/62867/

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  • Thanks for the replies!

    I'm trying to use this example:

    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/scripts/T-SQL+Aids/31871/

    I've added it to my UDFs under that database under table valued Functions, but when I run the following SQL:

    SELECT colA, dbo.fSplit([Program Code], ',') AS Expr1

    FROM mainTable

    ...I get:

    Can't find column dbo, or user defined funciton or aggregate fSplit, or the name is ambiguous.

    I'm sure it's something goofy I'm doing!

  • Don't use that particular function. Used correctly, it will get the job done, but there are better ways to do this.

    Here's a sample that works much better:

    select top 100001 identity(int,0,1) as Number

    into dbo.Numbers

    from sys.all_objects s1

    cross join sys.all_objects s2

    go

    create table #T (

    ID int identity primary key,

    Val1 varchar(100),

    Val2 varchar(1000))

    insert into #t (val1, val2)

    select 'a', '1,2,3' union all

    select 'b', '456,789,012'

    select val1,

    substring(val2+',', number,

    charindex(',', val2+',', number) - number) as Parsed,

    row_number() over (partition by val1 order by number) as Row

    from #t

    inner join dbo.numbers

    on number <= len(val2)

    and substring(',' + val2, number, 1) = ','

    order by val1, number

    You'll need to plug in your table and column names for it, of course. This will also create a Numbers table in your database. You'll want to use that again for other things, so keep that. If you really don't want it, make it a temp table for this. But read the article I linked earlier to see some of the uses of one before you make that decision.

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
    Property of The Thread

    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • P.S.: If you really want to use that function, you'll need to put it in your From clause, using CROSS APPLY, instead of in your Select clause. Inline functions go in the Select clause, table functions go in From (that's an over-simplification, but it points you in the right direction).

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
    Property of The Thread

    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • All, this did the trick ...and thanks for you help!

    Declare @Temp Table(ColumnA VarChar(40), ColumnB VarChar(400))

    insert into @Temp Values('AA.ProjectBuildTower','2222, 3333, 4444, 5555')

    insert into @Temp Values('BB.ProjectBuildFence','X900, 6789, 9000, 9876')

    Declare @Output Table(Header VarChar(40), Data VarChar(20))

    While Exists(Select * From @Temp Where CharIndex(',', ColumnB) > 0)

    Begin

    insert into @output(Header, Data)

    Select ColumnA, Left(ColumnB, CharIndex(',', ColumnB)-1)

    From @Temp

    Where CharIndex(',', ColumnB) > 0

    Update @Temp

    Set ColumnB = LTrim(Right(ColumnB, Len(ColumnB)-CharIndex(',', ColumnB)))

    End

    Insert Into @Output(Header, Data)

    Select ColumnA, ColumnB

    From @Temp

    Select * From @Output Order By Header, Data

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