NEED COLUMN NAMES FROM TABLE DYNAMICALLY

  • Hi Team,

    I need to retrieve columns names(instead of select * from) as single row from table in dynamic way.

    i m using following query.

    its working fine while using from selected database. but its not working when i m running from different database.

    DECLARE @columnnames varchar(max)

    select @columnnames = COALESCE(@columnnames,'')+column_name+',' from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS(nolock)

    where table_name='table_20141224'

    select @columnnames

    I need to pass database name dynamically like using by variable.

    Is this possible to use variable after from clause. or any other methods? kindly suggest on it.

    eg:

    DECLARE @columnnames varchar(max)

    DECLARE @variable='db_month11_2014'

    select @columnnames = COALESCE(@columnnames,'')+column_name+',' from @VARIABLE.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS(nolock)

    where table_name='table_20141224'

    select @columnnames

    thanks in advance.

    Kannan.

  • The following code will do it. It uses one form of dynamic SQL for most of it and another form for passing the impassible database name for the FROM clause.

    Now... two way street here, please. Why do you need to do this? What is the end goal? I ask because I'm simply curious and I also want to tell you that this is normally a really bad thing to do from a GUI. It's like a poor-man's ORM for C.R.U.D. (Create, Retrieve, Update, and Delete) code.

    You are aware that you can easily get all column names of a table all at once just by dragging the "Columns" folder for the table from the Object Explorer into the code window, yes?

    --===== Variable declarations

    DECLARE @pDBName SYSNAME --Could be a parameter for a stored proc

    ,@pTableName SYSNAME --Could be a parameter for a stored proc

    ,@ColumnNames VARCHAR(MAX) --Could be an output parameter for a stored proc

    ,@SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)

    ;

    --===== Make sure the @pDBName (the only variable with concatenation properties in the dynamic SQL)

    -- is actually a database name rather than SQL injection. The other two variables are fully

    -- parameterized and of the correct length to prevent injection by truncation. Note that if

    -- the database name does not exist, we do nothing but return so as to give no hint to a

    -- a possible attacker. This makes the QuOTENAME thing I did further down total overkill

    -- but I left that there anyway.

    IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.databases WHERE name = @pDBName)

    RETURN

    ;

    --===== Setup the variable contents including the "double-dynamic" SQL.

    SELECT @pDBName = 'put_database_name_here'

    ,@pTableName = 'put_table_name_here'

    ,@SQL = REPLACE(REPLACE('

    SELECT @ColumnNames = COALESCE(@ColumnNames+",","") + COLUMN_NAME

    FROM <<@pDBName>>.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS

    WHERE TABLE_NAME = @pTableName

    OPTION (MAXDOP 1);'

    ,'"' ,'''')

    ,'<<@pDBName>>' ,QUOTENAME(@pDBName)) --QUOTENAME() to help prevent SQL-INJECTION

    ;

    --===== Get the column names from the desired database and table.

    EXECUTE sp_executesql @sql

    , N'@pTableName SYSNAME, @ColumnNames VARCHAR(MAX) OUT' --Parameter Definitions

    , @pTableName = @pTableName, @ColumnNames = @ColumnNames OUT --Value Assignment

    ;

    --===== Here are the desired results

    PRINT @ColumnNames;

    --===== Here's the SQL that was executed

    PRINT @sql;

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Hi Jeff,

    yes. we can easily get columns from GUI.

    Thanks for your query. i changed the database name and table name but it returns nothing.

    My intention is to do spill over(respective date data's need to be moved in respective date tables)

    eg:

    source database never change(its having day wise tables for current month)

    table_20141201 to table_20141231

    i have to move day-1 source table to day-1 destination table.

    condition is source table having many date records. but destination records should having respective date records in respective date tables only.

    source table count based on some date column:

    source:

    db name: staging_cdr

    table: table_20141227 its having

    date count

    20141225 2000

    20141226 1200

    20141130 100

    while its moving to destination 20141225th date records should be moved to hist_month11_2014.dbo.table_20141227 table like that for other date too.

    every month some new columns might be added. so i need column list of which table need to insert.

    below is my query:

    declare @sql varchar(max)

    declare @c_date varchar(max)--change

    declare @columnslist nvarchar(max)

    declare @month_db varchar(max)

    declare @sday_table varchar(max)

    declare @sday_month varchar(max)

    declare @sday varchar(max)

    declare @mindate int

    declare @maxdate int

    set @sday_table='table_'+CONVERT(varchar(8),getdate()-1,112)

    set @sday_month='db_MONTH'+right((replace(CONVERT(varchar(20),getdate()-1,105),'-','_')),7)

    set @sday=@sday_month+'.dbo.'+@sday_table

    --step:select backdated dates in day-1 table

    IF OBJECT_ID('etl_load.dbo.TEMP') IS NOT NULL

    drop TABLE etl_load.dbo.TEMP

    set @sql='

    select distinct left(C_date,8)as c_date,identity(int,1,1)as IDX

    into etl_load.dbo.TEMP from '+@sday+'(nolock)

    order by left(C_date,8)'

    exec (@sql)

    --insert into table based on call_date

    select @mindate=min(idx), @maxdate=max(idx) from etl_load.dbo.TEMP (nolock)

    while @mindate<@maxdate

    begin

    select @c_date=left(call_date,8) from etl_load.dbo.TEMP(nolock) where idx=@mindate

    set @month_db='hist_MONTH'+substring(@c_date,5,2)+'_'+left(@c_date,4)

    ---------------------------------------

    --needed part

    --select column list from table

    select @columnslist= COALESCE(@columnslist,'') +column_name+','

    FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS ---- need to pass @month_db before from clause

    WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'cdr_'+@c_date+'' and table_catalog=@month_db

    -------------------------------------------------------------

    begin

    set @sql='insert into '+@month_db+'.dbo.table_'+@c_date+'

    select '+@columnslist+' from '+@sday+'(nolock)

    where left(c_date,8)='''+@c_date+''''

    print(@sql)

    end

    set @mindate=@mindate+1

    end

    Regards,

    Kannan

  • Quick suggestion, use the sp_describe_first_result_set (or the equal tvfn) to bring back the details of a result set, see the demo code below, should be enough to get you passed this hurdle. Quick question, why the NOLOCK hint, any specific reason?

    😎

    USE tempdb;

    GO

    /* Database name variable*/

    DECLARE @DATABASE_NAME NVARCHAR(128) = N'msdb';

    /* The query with the database name placeholder "{{@DATABASE_NAME}}"

    replaced by the value of the @DATABASE_NAME variable

    */

    DECLARE @SQL_STR NVARCHAR(MAX) = REPLACE(N'SELECT * FROM [{{@DATABASE_NAME}}].[dbo].[sysalerts]',N'{{@DATABASE_NAME}}',@DATABASE_NAME);

    /* Table variable to catch the output of the sp_describe_first_result_set procedure

    */

    DECLARE @RES TABLE

    (

    is_hidden BIT NULL

    ,column_ordinal INT NULL

    ,name SYSNAME NULL

    ,is_nullable BIT NULL

    ,system_type_id INT NULL

    ,system_type_name SYSNAME NULL

    ,max_length INT NULL

    ,precision INT NULL

    ,scale INT NULL

    ,collation_name SYSNAME NULL

    ,user_type_id INT NULL

    ,user_type_database SYSNAME NULL

    ,user_type_schema SYSNAME NULL

    ,user_type_name SYSNAME NULL

    ,assembly_qualified_type_nameSYSNAME NULL

    ,xml_collection_id INT NULL

    ,xml_collection_database SYSNAME NULL

    ,xml_collection_schema SYSNAME NULL

    ,xml_collection_name SYSNAME NULL

    ,is_xml_document BIT NULL

    ,is_case_sensitive BIT NULL

    ,is_fixed_length_clr_type BIT NULL

    ,source_server SYSNAME NULL

    ,source_database SYSNAME NULL

    ,source_schema SYSNAME NULL

    ,source_table SYSNAME NULL

    ,source_column SYSNAME NULL

    ,is_identity_column BIT NULL

    ,is_part_of_unique_key BIT NULL

    ,is_updateable BIT NULL

    ,is_computed_column BIT NULL

    ,is_sparse_column_set BIT NULL

    ,ordinal_in_order_by_list BIT NULL

    ,order_by_is_descending BIT NULL

    ,order_by_list_length BIT NULL

    ,tds_type_id INT NULL

    ,tds_length INT NULL

    ,tds_collation_id INT NULL

    ,tds_collation_sort_id INT NULL

    )

    INSERT INTO @RES

    EXEC sp_describe_first_result_set @SQL_STR;

    /* Full description of the result set */

    SELECT * FROM @RES;

  • Kannan Vignesh (12/28/2014)


    Hi Jeff,

    Thanks for your query. i changed the database name and table name but it returns nothing.

    That would be because I'm an idiot. :blush: I added the check for the database name without testing it and, of course, I put the check in before the variables were populated.

    This will do it. And, yeah, I tested it this time.

    --===== Variable declarations

    DECLARE @pDBName SYSNAME --Could be a parameter for a stored proc

    ,@pTableName SYSNAME --Could be a parameter for a stored proc

    ,@ColumnNames VARCHAR(MAX) --Could be an output parameter for a stored proc

    ,@SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)

    ;

    --===== Preset the variables for the database and table name

    SELECT @pDBName = 'put_database_name_here'

    ,@pTableName = 'put_table_name_here'

    ;

    --===== Make sure the @pDBName (the only variable with concatenation properties in the dynamic SQL)

    -- is actually a database name rather than SQL injection. The other two variables are fully

    -- parameterized and of the correct length to prevent injection by truncation. Note that if

    -- the database name does not exist, we do nothing but return so as to give no hint to a

    -- a possible attacker. This makes the QuOTENAME thing I did further down total overkill

    -- but I left that there anyway.

    IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.databases WHERE name = @pDBName)

    RETURN

    ;

    --===== Setup the variable contents including the "double-dynamic" SQL.

    SELECT @sql = REPLACE(REPLACE('

    SELECT @ColumnNames = COALESCE(@ColumnNames+",","") + COLUMN_NAME

    FROM <<@pDBName>>.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS

    WHERE TABLE_NAME = @pTableName

    OPTION (MAXDOP 1);'

    ,'"' ,'''')

    ,'<<@pDBName>>' ,QUOTENAME(@pDBName)) --QUOTENAME() to help prevent SQL-INJECTION

    ;

    --===== Get the column names from the desired database and table.

    EXECUTE sp_executesql @sql

    , N'@pTableName SYSNAME, @ColumnNames VARCHAR(MAX) OUT' --Parameter Definitions

    , @pTableName = @pTableName, @ColumnNames = @ColumnNames OUT --Value Assignment

    ;

    --===== Here are the desired results

    PRINT @ColumnNames;

    --===== Here's the SQL that was executed

    PRINT @sql;

    Note that @pTableName cannot take a two part naming convention such as 'dbo.sometablename'. If that becomes a problem, we'll have to add a wee bit more code.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Okay, I have read the OPs posts and I am slightly confused at what he is attempting to accomplish. I get the idea that the OP wants the column names for a specified table (passed to the procedure), but what is the end game?

  • Lynn Pettis (12/28/2014)


    Okay, I have read the OPs posts and I am slightly confused at what he is attempting to accomplish. I get the idea that the OP wants the column names for a specified table (passed to the procedure), but what is the end game?

    In a nutshell, the end game appears to be to archive data and to have the system automatically make corrections for newly added columns not only for the archive tables, but for the current month and daily tables, as well.

    At this point, I would ask, how often does such a thing actually happen and is it really worth the effort to automate?

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Jeff Moden (12/28/2014)


    Lynn Pettis (12/28/2014)


    Okay, I have read the OPs posts and I am slightly confused at what he is attempting to accomplish. I get the idea that the OP wants the column names for a specified table (passed to the procedure), but what is the end game?

    In a nutshell, the end game appears to be to archive data and to have the system automatically make corrections for newly added columns not only for the archive tables, but for the current month and daily tables, as well.

    At this point, I would ask, how often does such a thing actually happen and is it really worth the effort to automate?

    I have a stored procedure that loops through all the report tables that should move from one classified network over a guard system to another classified network (the database from the lower side is manually moved to the higher network for verification purposes on a daily basis until we can figure out the issues keeping all data from moving the proscribed method), moving all the data that did not move through the automated process. Since the tables have identical schema it isn't too difficult, but I need to generate the column list dynamically since I have to drop on column from the list since the data type is timestamp.

  • yes. its working. Thank u so much..!

  • Nolock doesn't allows to table get lock.

  • Kannan Vignesh (12/28/2014)


    Nolock doesn't allows to table get lock.

    It was a rhetorical question to mostly suggest that it shouldn't be used in most cases. WITH(NOLOCK) is actually the proper form because the form without the WITH has been deprecated. It can also cause some major issues. For example, it is possible to return two rows for the same thing... one prior to an update and the dirty read after the update. It's not as uncommon as people would think and many folks have written demonstrable code on the subject. Since it's not likely that a SELECT will be interfered with on the underlying tables that the INFORMATION_SCHEMA views rely on, you might just want to leave it off to prevent the eventual duplication of rows from occurring.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Kannan Vignesh (12/28/2014)


    Nolock doesn't allows to table get lock.

    Are you experiencing locking or any other problems and that is why you are using NOLOCK? Or are you using it just in case there might be a problem?

    😎

    You might want to look at this excellent article by Aron Bertrand, Bad habits : Putting NOLOCK everywhere[/url]

  • Nice story, Joe but what on Earth does that have to do with the problem of stepping though databases or tables?

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • CELKO (12/30/2014)

    Besides begin better than anything you can write, the vendor will maintain it and the vendor will be legally responsible if anything goes wrong.

    Bull! I'm telling you, don't try to play "it's the vendors fault I don't have my data" card in court. You'll just be laughed at and pitied.

    You should test your archiving system continually whether it's your own or a vendor-provided one. Never let the vendor determine what dbs get tested and the timing of testing (except in specific cases for performance). If they need to do that, there's something not right with the product!

    SQL DBA,SQL Server MVP(07, 08, 09) "It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear." "Norm", on "Cheers". Also from "Cheers", from "Carla": "You need to know 3 things about Tortelli men: Tortelli men draw women like flies; Tortelli men treat women like flies; Tortelli men's brains are in their flies".

  • thanks for your clarification. i will correct it.

    Ok jeff. with out nolock, if many peoples accessing same table means it cause any performance issue..?

    thanks

    Kannan.

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