Trim all database fields

Question

Do you know if there\'s a quick way in sql server (via transact-sql) that I could trim all the database string fields.

Answer 1

OK, that was quick and dirty but i have been sufficiently motivated by a current project to do this 'properly' - and with no cursors either, but a little sql concatenation trick. Does use dynamic sql though:

--exec    spGenerateTrimStatements 'StaticImportMaturities'
ALTER   PROCEDURE       spGenerateTrimStatements
    (
            @TableName NVARCHAR(100)
    )
AS
    DECLARE @Cr char(2),    
                    @OutputString nvarchar(max)

    SELECT  @Cr = CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
    SET     NOCOUNT ON

    -- Create table to store commands
    CREATE  TABLE   #tOutput(OutputText nvarchar(500), RowID int identity(1,1))

    -- Build up commands
    INSERT  #tOutput(OutputText)
    SELECT  'UPDATE ' + @TableName + ' SET ' 

    INSERT  #tOutput(OutputText)
    SELECT  '[' + Column_Name + '] = ' + 'LTRIM(RTRIM([' + Column_Name + '])), ' 
    FROM    INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Columns 
    WHERE   Table_Name = @TableName 
       AND Data_Type LIKE '%CHAR%' 

    --      Trim last comma
    UPDATE  #tOutput
    SET             OutputText = LEFT(OutputText, LEN(OutputText)-1)
    WHERE   RowID = (SELECT Max(RowID) FROM #tOutput)

    -- use subselect to concatenate the command string
    SELECT  @OutputString = ISNULL(@OutputString, '') + ISNULL(OutputText, '')
    FROM (SELECT OutputText
          FROM    #tOutput) TextOutput

    -- run the command
    EXEC sp_ExecuteSQL @OutputString