Jeff - not sure yet if we are set.  I purchased Optimizing Transact-SQL by David Rozenshtein (and others) and the first chapter is "Single Statement SQL Solutions to the Table...

Sergiy - That "table structure must support data entities and its relationship" is the rub.  Traditional relational databases do not do that as well as we'd like for objects, (as...

Thank you for your input.  The database structure is very unorthodox, but it has to be that way to satisfy the requirements of the application we are writing.  Actually several "sister" applications...

We will compare performance for the various options. Rozenshtein's book is still available, used and I am purchasing a copy - it sounds like a good book to have,...

Thanks, Peter, I'll give it a try...but still hoping for a solution re: PIVOT :&lt.

There cannot be duplicate values in the table, or at least there shouldn't be.  If I have to use MAX so be it, but calculating the aggregate is an operation...

Thank you Peter, I read the article. The thing is, we have need of dozens of such procs and I would like to keep it simple, hence my desire...