Get Column Value

  • I'm sure you're reading this post because you're laughing to yourself..."What a dumb question!".

    However, what I need to do is to be able to get a Value from a Table's Column Dynamically.  In other words, "Table" and "Column" are Parameters which must be executed Dynamically.  The only way I could find to do this was to build a Dynamic SQL Statement and execute it.  However, Dynamic SQL can only be used in Stored Procs.  Thus, the value can never be returned to some other calling procedure because the EXEC statement cannot return a Value, only a Table with a value(s) in it.

    The Columns MUST be determined at Execution Time and NOT be "hard-coded" because I'd like to run this Procedure for ANY Table.

    What I am ultimately trying to accomplish it something like this:

    ColID     ColName     OldValue     NewValue
    1          ID              1               2
    2          FName        George       Martha
    3          LName        Wilson        Wilson

    Any ideas??

  • While the EXEC statement can't return a value, sp_ExecuteSQL surely can.

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • Can you or anyone possibly give me an Example of sp_ExecuteSQL?  I can never get that thing to work with Parameters!  Thanks for the Help!

  • USE Pubs

    GO

    DECLARE @stmt nvarchar(4000)

    DECLARE @rowcount int

    DECLARE @table nvarchar(255)

    SET @table = 'authors'

    SELECT @stmt = 'SELECT @count = COUNT(*) FROM ' + @table

    EXEC sp_executesql @stmt, N' @count bigint output', @rowcount OUTPUT

    IF @rowcount > 0

         BEGIN

             SELECT @rowcount AS Anzahl

         END

    RETURN

    Anzahl     

    -----------

    23

    (1 row(s) affected)

     

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • Thanks, here's what I came up with

    CREATE PROCEDURE

    dbo.spGetColumnValue

    /*

    This Procedure Returns a Value for a Column Dynamically

    */

    (

    @Table

    VarChar(128),

    @Column

    VarChar(128),

    @key

    VarChar(256), -- For Composite Keys, Pass Values seperated by Colons... 1:1:2

    @Value

    VarChar(2000) = Null Output

    )

    AS

    -- Variables

    Set NoCount On

    Declare

    @Keys Cursor, @ColName VarChar(128), @KeyCount Int, @KeyColumn VarChar(8000)

    Declare

    @sql NVarChar(4000)

    -- Determine the Key Columns from the Table

    Select

    @KeyColumn = '', @KeyCount = 0

    Select

    @KeyCount = Count(*) From Information_Schema.Key_Column_Usage CU

    Inner Join Information_Schema.Columns C ON (CU.Table_Name = C.Table_Name) And (CU.Column_Name = C.Column_Name)

    Where (CU.Table_Name = @Table) And (CU.Constraint_Name IN(Select Name From SysObjects Where Xtype = 'PK'))

    If

    (@KeyCount = 0)

    RETURN(0) -- Exit if there are no Keys

    Else If

    (@KeyCount = 1)

    BEGIN

    Select @KeyColumn = C.Column_Name

    From Information_Schema.Key_Column_Usage CU

    Inner Join Information_Schema.Columns C ON (CU.Table_Name = C.Table_Name) And (CU.Column_Name = C.Column_Name)

    Where (CU.Table_Name = @Table) And (CU.Constraint_Name IN(Select Name From SysObjects Where XType = 'PK'))

    END

    Else

    BEGIN

    Set @Keys = Cursor Fast_Forward For

    Select C.Column_Name

    From Information_Schema.Key_Column_Usage CU

    Inner Join Information_Schema.Columns C ON (CU.Table_Name = C.Table_Name) And (CU.Column_Name = C.Column_Name)

    Where (CU.Table_Name = @Table) And (CU.Constraint_Name IN(Select Name From SysObjects Where XType = 'PK'))

    Open @Keys

    Fetch Next From @Keys Into @ColName

    While (@@Fetch_Status = 0)

    BEGIN

    Set @KeyColumn = @KeyColumn + ' Convert(VarChar(50), ' + @ColName + ') + '':'' +'

    Fetch Next From @Keys Into @ColName

    END

    Close @Keys

    DeAllocate @Keys

    Set @KeyColumn = SubString(@KeyColumn, 1, Len(@KeyColumn) - 7)

    END

    -- Determine the Column Value

    Set

    @sql = N'Select @Value = ' + @Column + ' From ' + @Table + ' Where ' + @KeyColumn + ' = ''' + @key + ''''

    Exec

    sp_ExecuteSQL @sql, N'@Value VarChar(2000) Output', @Value Output

    -- Return the Value

    RETURN

    (1)

  • Glad I could help

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

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