SQL Server SELECT where any column contains 'x'

Question

Using SQL Server 2008, say I have a table called testing with 80 columns and I want to find a value called foo.

I can do:

S         


        

Answer 1

First Method(Tested) First get list of columns in string variable separated by commas and then you can search 'foo' using that variable by use of IN

Check stored procedure below which first gets columns and then searches for string:

DECLARE @TABLE_NAME VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @SCHEMA_NAME VARCHAR(128)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Set up the name of the table here :
SET @TABLE_NAME = 'testing'
-- Set up the name of the schema here, or just leave set to 'dbo' :
SET @SCHEMA_NAME = 'dbo'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DECLARE @vvc_ColumnName VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @vvc_ColumnList VARCHAR(MAX)

IF @SCHEMA_NAME =''
  BEGIN
  PRINT 'Error : No schema defined!'
  RETURN
  END

IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.tables T JOIN sys.schemas S
      ON T.schema_id=S.schema_id
      WHERE T.Name=@TABLE_NAME AND S.name=@SCHEMA_NAME)
  BEGIN
  PRINT 'Error : The table '''+@TABLE_NAME+''' in schema '''+
      @SCHEMA_NAME+''' does not exist in this database!' 
  RETURN
 END

DECLARE TableCursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT   CASE WHEN PATINDEX('% %',C.name) > 0 
     THEN '['+ C.name +']' 
     ELSE C.name 
     END
FROM     sys.columns C
JOIN     sys.tables T
ON       C.object_id  = T.object_id
JOIN     sys.schemas S
ON       S.schema_id  = T.schema_id
WHERE    T.name    = @TABLE_NAME
AND      S.name    = @SCHEMA_NAME
ORDER BY column_id


SET @vvc_ColumnList=''

OPEN TableCursor
FETCH NEXT FROM TableCursor INTO @vvc_ColumnName

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS=0
  BEGIN
   SET @vvc_ColumnList = @vvc_ColumnList + @vvc_ColumnName

    -- get the details of the next column
   FETCH NEXT FROM TableCursor INTO @vvc_ColumnName

  -- add a comma if we are not at the end of the row
   IF @@FETCH_STATUS=0
    SET @vvc_ColumnList = @vvc_ColumnList + ','
   END

 CLOSE TableCursor
 DEALLOCATE TableCursor

-- Now search for `foo`


SELECT *
FROM testing 
WHERE 'foo' in (@vvc_ColumnList );

2nd Method In sql server you can get object id of table then using that object id you can fetch columns. In that case it will be as below:

Step 1: First get Object Id of table

select * from sys.tables order by name    

Step 2: Now get columns of your table and search in it:

 select * from testing where 'foo' in (select name from sys.columns  where  object_id =1977058079)

Note: object_id is what you get fetch in first step for you relevant table