How do I search an SQL Server database for a string?

Question

I know it\'s possible, but I don\'t know how.

I need to search an SQL Server database for all mentions of a specific string.

For example: I would like t

Answer 1

Here is the same script as submitted by user l--''''''---------'''''''''''', but corrected to work on a case-sensitive SQL instance, and with some other minor improvements.

DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS dbo.spFind_Text_In_Database
GO

CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.spFind_Text_In_Database
    @strText_To_Find NVARCHAR(4000),
    @bitExact_Match BIT = 0
AS
SET NOCOUNT ON

DECLARE @Temp TABLE(RowId INT IDENTITY(1,1), SchemaName sysname, TableName sysname, ColumnName SysName, DataType VARCHAR(100), DataFound BIT)

    INSERT  INTO @Temp(TableName,SchemaName, ColumnName, DataType)
    SELECT  C.TABLE_NAME, C.TABLE_SCHEMA, C.COLUMN_NAME, C.DATA_TYPE
    FROM    INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS C
            INNER Join INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES AS T
                ON C.TABLE_NAME = T.TABLE_NAME
        AND C.TABLE_SCHEMA = T.TABLE_SCHEMA
    WHERE   TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'
            And DATA_TYPE In ('ntext','text','nvarchar','nchar','varchar','char')


DECLARE @i INT
DECLARE @MAX INT
DECLARE @TableName sysname
DECLARE @ColumnName sysname
DECLARE @SchemaName sysname
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(4000)
DECLARE @PARAMETERS NVARCHAR(4000)
DECLARE @DataExists BIT
DECLARE @SQLTemplate NVARCHAR(4000)

SELECT  @SQLTemplate = CASE WHEN @bitExact_Match = 1
                            THEN 'If Exists(Select *
                                          From   ReplaceTableName
                                          Where  Convert(nVarChar(4000), [ReplaceColumnName])
                                                       = ''' + @strText_To_Find + '''
                                          )
                                     Set @DataExists = 1
                                 Else
                                     Set @DataExists = 0'
                            ELSE 'If Exists(Select *
                                          From   ReplaceTableName
                                          Where  Convert(nVarChar(4000), [ReplaceColumnName])
                                                       Like ''%' + @strText_To_Find + '%''
                                          )
                                     Set @DataExists = 1
                                 Else
                                     Set @DataExists = 0'
                            END,
        @PARAMETERS = '@DataExists Bit OUTPUT',
        @i = 1

SELECT @i = 1, @MAX = MAX(RowId)
FROM   @Temp

WHILE @i <= @MAX
    BEGIN
        SELECT  @SQL = REPLACE(REPLACE(@SQLTemplate, 'ReplaceTableName', QUOTENAME(SchemaName) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TableName)), 'ReplaceColumnName', ColumnName)
        FROM    @Temp
        WHERE   RowId = @i


        PRINT @SQL
        EXEC sp_executesql @SQL, @PARAMETERS, @DataExists = @DataExists OUTPUT

        IF @DataExists =1
            UPDATE @Temp SET DataFound = 1 WHERE RowId = @i

        SET @i = @i + 1
    END

SELECT  SchemaName,TableName, ColumnName
FROM    @Temp
WHERE   DataFound = 1
GO