Using a Variable in OPENROWSET Query

Question

I'm having trouble with this query:

SELECT * 
FROM OPENROWSET(
    'SQLNCLI',
    'DRIVER={SQL Server};',
    'EXEC dbo.sProc1 @ID = ' + @id 
 )

Gives an error:

Incorrect syntax near '+'.

Anyone know why I'm getting this error?

Answer 1

As suggested by Scott , you cannot use expressions in OPENROWSET.Try creating a dynamic sql to pass the parameters

Declare @ID int
Declare @sql nvarchar(max)
Set @ID=1
Set @sql='SELECT * 
FROM OPENROWSET(
               ''SQLNCLI'',
               ''DRIVER={SQL Server};'',
               ''EXEC dbo.usp_SO @ID =' + convert(varchar(10),@ID) + ''')'

-- Print @sql
 Exec(@sql)

Answer 2

OPENROWSET requires string literals, not expressions. It's complaining about the plus sign, becaue it doesn't expect anything more than a string literal and you follewed the string literal with an operator.

See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190312.aspx which states:

'query'

Is a string constant sent to and executed by the provider...

Answer 3

Declare @Route VARCHAR(200)
Declare @sql nvarchar(max)
Set @Route='C:\OCRevisiones.xlsx;'
Set @sql='SELECT * INTO FFFF
FROM OPENROWSET(
               ''Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0'',
               ''Excel 12.0;HDR=YES;Database=' + @Route + ''',
               ''SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$]'')'

 Print @sql
 --Exec(@sql)

Answer 4

For what it is worth.. The reason we use openrowset rather than a straight linked server query is that the processing for a linked server query happens on the local server. (Slow and often brings most of the table back)

Yes we can do the string concatination as above.

A different option where you have ease of syntax and the power of parameters.

Create a stored proc on the remote box, that proc has all the parameters you need. Call the stored proc from with a standard linked server query (same perf or better than the above soultion and significantly easier to code with.

e.g. linkedservername.database.dbo.myproc 123,'abc','someparam',getdate()

Just an option....

Answer 5

If you need parameters you can also use sp_executesql:

BEGIN

DECLARE
@p_path varchar(200)='D:\Sample\test.xml',  
@v_xmlfile xml,
@v_sql nvarchar(1000)

SET @v_sql=N'select @v_xmlfile= CONVERT(XML, BulkColumn) FROM 
OPENROWSET(BULK '''+@p_path+''', SINGLE_BLOB) AS x;'

EXEC sp_executesql @v_sql,N'@v_xmlfile xml output',@v_xmlfile output;

SELECT @v_xmlfile

END