What is the best way to paginate results in SQL Server

Question

What is the best way (performance wise) to paginate results in SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008, 2012 if you also want to get the total number of results (before paginating)?

Answer 1

Well I have used the following sample query in my SQL 2000 database, it works well for SQL 2005 too. The power it gives you is dynamically order by using multiple columns. I tell you ... this is powerful :)

    ALTER PROCEDURE [dbo].[RE_ListingReports_SelectSummary] 

@CompanyID  int,
@pageNumber     int,
@pageSize   int, 
@sort       varchar(200)
AS

DECLARE @sql nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @strPageSize nvarchar(20)
DECLARE @strSkippedRows nvarchar(20)
DECLARE @strFields nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @strFilter nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @sortBy nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @strFrom nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE @strID nvarchar(100)

If(@pageNumber < 0)
  SET @pageNumber = 1
SET @strPageSize = CAST(@pageSize AS varchar(20)) 
SET @strSkippedRows = CAST(((@pageNumber - 1) * @pageSize) AS varchar(20))-- For    example if pageNumber is 5  pageSize is 10, then SkippedRows = 40.
SET @strID = 'ListingDbID'
SET @strFields = 'ListingDbID,
ListingID,  
[ExtraRoom]
'
SET @strFrom = ' vwListingSummary '

SET @strFilter = ' WHERE
        CompanyID = ' + CAST(@CompanyID As varchar(20)) 
End
SET @sortBy = ''
if(len(ltrim(rtrim(@sort))) > 0)
SET @sortBy = ' Order By ' + @sort

-- Total Rows Count

SET @sql =  'SELECT Count(' + @strID + ')  FROM ' + @strFROM + @strFilter
EXEC sp_executesql @sql

--// This technique is used in a Single Table pagination
SET @sql = 'SELECT ' + @strFields + ' FROM ' + @strFROM +
    ' WHERE ' + @strID +  ' IN ' + 
   '  (SELECT TOP ' + @strPageSize + ' ' + @strID + ' FROM ' + @strFROM + @strFilter + 
             ' AND  ' + @strID + ' NOT IN ' + '
          (SELECT TOP ' + @strSkippedRows + ' ' + @strID + ' FROM ' + @strFROM + @strFilter + @SortBy + ') ' 
   + @SortBy + ') ' + @SortBy
Print @sql 
EXEC sp_executesql @sql

The best part is sp_executesql caches later calls, provided you pass same parameters i.e generate same sql text.