exec failed because the name not a valid identifier?

Question

I have a query I need run it as a dynamic query to output a meaningful column name. As an example, if I run the query directly, it returns data correctly. However, if I use

Answer 1

Try this instead in the end:

exec (@query)

If you do not have the brackets, SQL Server assumes the value of the variable to be a stored procedure name.

OR

EXECUTE sp_executesql @query

And it should not be because of FULL JOIN.
But I hope you have already created the temp tables: #TrafficFinal, #TrafficFinal2, #TrafficFinal3 before this.

---

Please note that there are performance considerations between using EXEC and sp_executesql. Because sp_executesql uses forced statement caching like an sp.
More details here.

---

On another note, is there a reason why you are using dynamic sql for this case, when you can use the query as is, considering you are not doing any query manipulations and executing it the way it is?

Answer 2

As was in my case if your sql is generated by concatenating or uses converts then sql at execute need to be prefixed with letter N as below

e.g.

Exec N'Select bla..' 

the N defines string literal is unicode.