Well, if your LIKE search isn't using a wildcard, could it not use = 'HomeRun_ZYX' ? If you're not searching string content, that is.

I think the LIKE option/function/operator might introduce...

Danger, Roust... your LIKE statement isn't using the % wildcard. Something deeper going on here?

DECLARE @dblist TABLE (dbname NVARCHAR(100))

INSERT INTO @dblist (dbname)

SELECT sd.name FROM MASTER.dbo.sysdatabases sd (NOLOCK)

WHERE sd.NAME LIKE 'HotDog__XYZ'

IF EXISTS (

SELECT [CountryCode]

FROM DBUtilities.dbo.Country...

One option is removing the criterion from the WHERE clause and adding it to the JOIN clause as an AND, though I haven't looked closely at your syntax.

--SJT--

P.S. This might...

Given that the WHERE clause includes criteria for the table on the 'right' side of the 'left' outer join, I think you've created the equivalent of an inner join... savvy?

A theoretical example, the Hong Kong thing.

You don't need to loop through it. You give the function the correct parameters (especially the number of lines to read) and you use the function in a FROM...

BULK INSERT includes the ability to use a bcp-style format file. The format file could in theory define a different delimiter for each column in your input file.

Format files are...

Raymond,

the IF block is used to place a 'unexecuted' SELECT at the beginning of the stored procedure. Placing the conditional test in a WHERE clause without the IF block will...

As the error states, you'll need to have the same number of columns on both sides of the UNION. Your first query returns two columns, the second only returns one.

--SJT--

I'll agree with Greg. Get that data into a working table and update the values before moving on in your work flow. Or, use a stored procedure to BULK INSERT...

Let's try putting in something other than Jan 1 in there... it's not clear from that select whether the first 1 is the month or the first 1 is the...

I get the same result as Jacob. If you run the query without the WHERE clause, what do the date formats look like?

--SJT--

QA likes to run in an auto-commit mode. If your statement block didn't start with a BEGIN TRAN and end with a ROLLBACK TRAN, you'll need to resort to a...

It's possible using xp_cmdshell. You'll have to configure your server using the surface area configuration tool to allow that sproc to be called.

I say possible, of course. Not always advisable...