Merge row values into a CSV (a.k.a GROUP_CONCAT for SQL Server)

Question

I have a table like:

EntityID   AttributeID  OptionText
5016       20           Paintings
5044       18           Female
5060       48           M
5060               


        

Answer 1

I have done some tests with 3 different methods:

http://blog.feronovak.com/2011/10/multiple-values-in-one-column-aka.html

Hope it helps.

Answer 2

Try the code below (I've included all test SQL so you don't have to practice on live data). You can view a working example here: http://data.stackexchange.com/stackoverflow/q/115141/

--Set up test table
CREATE TABLE #Table1 (EntityID INT, AttributeID INT, OptionText VARCHAR(50))

INSERT INTO #Table1
SELECT  5030, 48, 'M'

INSERT INTO #Table1
SELECT  5030, 48, 'F'

--Begin actual working SQL          
SELECT      T1.EntityID,
            T1.AttributeID,
            STUFF(( SELECT    ', ' + T2.OptionText
                    FROM      #Table1 T2
                    WHERE     T2.AttributeID = T1.AttributeID
                    AND       T2.EntityID = T1.EntityID
                    FOR XML PATH('')
                  ), 1, 2, '') [Attributes]
FROM        #Table1 T1
GROUP BY    T1.EntityID, T1.AttributeID

DROP TABLE #Table1

Answer 3

For each pair of EntityID, AttributeID use the XML path trick to generate the CSV

 SELECT
    M.EntityID, M.AttributeID,
    SUBSTRING(CAST(foo.bar AS varchar(8000)), 2, 7999) AS Options
FROM
    (
    SELECT DISTINCT EntityID, AttributeID
    FROM MyTable
    ) M
    CROSS APPLY
    (
    SELECT
        ',' + OptionText
    FROM
        MyTable M2
    WHERE
        M.EntityID = M2.EntityID AND M.AttributeID= M2.AttributeID
    FOR XML PATH ('')
    ) foo(bar)