Assign function result to a table variable

Question

The SQL Server (2000/2005) function gets the table name and the field name as parameters and returns results from a dynamic query within the function. The results should be

Answer 1

just to close the loop...

here is the syntax for calling the function and putting those results in a table variable

small build on @simons solution

this ran on sql2012 and sql2014.

[ dont forget to close off the table statement. Easy enough to do if you have the table all on a single line. ]

declare @t table(field1  nvarchar(100) )

insert @t select * from dbo.Cool_1Field_Function( 'parm1' ,'parm2')
select * from @t

Answer 2

I'm not sure how this works with functions, but if you have a Stored Procedure that returns a resultset, you can insert that into a table variable using INSERT EXEC statements.

INSERT @TableVariable
EXEC spYourProcedure

As long as the fields match that will work. Otherwise you can use:

INSERT @TableVariable (FieldInSp1, FieldInSp2)
EXEC spYourProcedure

This way you can pass data between stored procedures. See this page on INSERT EXEC Statements for some extra information.

Answer 3

You can't use "exec" in a user defined function. UDFs must be side effect free.