Returning value from stored procedure

  • I assume there must be a way to do this, and I am just missing it:

    Right now, I get values from sql strings passed to a stored procedure by using a cursor to write the value to a variable. I'd like to avoid using a cursor, but can't seem to find a way around it.

    E.g. this works with a set sql string:

    declare @var sql_variant

    select @var = (SELECT StaffID FROM Staff WHERE (lastname = 'Smith'))

    I get a value for @var

    but if I want to pass in a variable containing the sql string e.g.

    @strsql varchar(500),

    @val sql_variant = NULL OUTPUT

    --what would go here? how do I pass in the @sqlstr variable?

    select @var =

    This quite likely is a dumb question, but I've spent too much time already trying to make this work....

    thanks for your input

  • If you are saying you want to pass the string dynamically and return the value to @var then look at sp_executesql in BOL.

    But be carefull here as that increases you chance for injection attacks if you don't have other ways to control the data being submitted.

  • Thanks for your response.

    I have already read the section you refer to, however I am still missing the part about assigning the result of a select statement to a variable.

    E.g. SELECT @var = exec sp_executesql @strsql

    where @strsql holds a valid sql string, does not work

    Would you be kind enough to provide an example?

    The string passed is always controlled by the front end, btw.

  • DECLARE @nvch500SQLStr as nvarchar(500),

    @nvch500ParmStr as nvarchar(500),

    @nvch20SegValLocal as nvarchar(20)

    --This is the select Statement and allows you to use Dynamic SQL AND also return a value from the statement

    SET @nvch500SQLStr = N'SELECT @nvch20SegValOUT = CategoryName FROM Northwind.dbo.categories WHERE CategoryID = 1'

    --This is where you declare your variables so you can pass data OUT from the Dynamic SQL Script

    SET @nvch500ParmStr = N'@nvch20SegValOut as nvarchar(20) OUTPUT'

    -- To run the SQLStr, you pass the SQLString and then the parameters and then map the SQLString

    -- parameters to your local parameters - you will want to tag your local parameters with Local

    -- to make it less confusing, but you could use any name for the mapping, just make sure the

    -- data types are the same.

    EXECUTE sp_executesql@nvch500SQLStr,

    @nvch500ParmStr,

    @nvch20SegValout = @nvch20SegValLocal OUTPUT

    print @nvch20segvalLocal

  • Thanks very much, this approach does the trick. As far as I can see, that aspect of returning output to a variable from sp_executesql is not documented in BOL...

    I found the KB article:

    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;262499

    which goes into this as well.

    Thanks again for your help.

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