CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sqltemp-tablestable-variable
UbiNoob
UbiNoob

Reputation: 11

T-SQL: Creating a temp Table/ table Variable with Flexible structure

I am working on a reporting project based in SQL but I have restricted access to the DB; I can only make SELECT Queries and insert the data I retrieve into temp Tables/table variables. I cannot create/execute stored procedures or any sort of functions.

The query I am running is meant to pool together all Engineers and the different key skills that they have so that we can later on see what Skills each engineer has or which Engineers fall under a certain skill.

To this end, I am trying to create a table variable/temp table with a flexible structure, a structure based on previously obtained values in the same query.

For E.g.

1st Output: Adam Brad Julio Martinez

2nd Output (Skill separated by white space): VOIP TTS DBA Exchange Server

Create temp table/table variable that uses 1st output as rows and 2nd output as columns or vice versa. I will then populate this new table according to different values on the main DB.

Please advise how this can be done, or provide any other solution to this problem. Thank you

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1402

Answers (2)

Greenonion
Greenonion

Reputation: 87

I believe you can.

First of all you need to create temp table with dynamic structure based on query. It can be done like this:

declare script template:

Set @ScriptTmpl = 'Alter table #tempTable Add [?] varchar(100);

build script that will insert columns you need based on query:

Select @TableScript = @TableScript + Replace(@ScriptTmpl, '?', ColumnName) From ... Where ...

then execute script and then fill your new table with values from second query

UPD:

here is the full sample of temporary table dynamic creation. I used global temporary table in my sample:

declare @scriptTemplate nvarchar(MAX)
declare @script nvarchar(MAX)
declare @tableTemplate nvarchar(MAX)

SET @tableTemplate = 'create table ##tmptable (?)'
SET @scriptTemplate = '? nvarchar(500),'
SET @script = ''

Drop table ##tmptable

Select @script = @script + Replace(@scriptTemplate, '?', [Name])
From Account
Where name like 'ES_%'

SET @script = LEFT(@script, LEN(@script) - 1)

SET @script = Replace(@tableTemplate, '?', @script)

Select @script

exec(@script)

Select * from ##tmptable

Upvotes: 2

Neville Kuyt
Neville Kuyt

Reputation: 29649

Firstly, you may be able to achieve what you want through pivots, rather than temporary tables.

Secondly, if you really want to create a table with column name "Adam Brad", the solution is dynamic SQL, which you may not be able to do based on your permissions.

Upvotes: 0

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