Syntax error in pivoting a SQL Server table using VARCHAR columns - sql-server

Question

I have a table (~50m rows) like below in SQL Server:
PId CustomColumnName CustomColumnValue
1 PropertyA 1
1 PropertyB B
1 PropertyC C
2 PropertyA 1.5
2 PropertyB BB
2 PropertyC CC
3 PropertyD D1
3 PropertyA 2.0
I'd like to PIVOT that table to look something like this:
PId PropertyA PropertyB PropertyC PropertyD
1 1 B C NULL
2 1.5 BB CC NULL
3 2.0 NULL NULL D1
I know that SQL Server has PIVOT function, so I wrote something like this:
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT [PId], [CustomColumnName], [CustomColumnValue]
FROM [myTable]
) AS src
PIVOT
(
MAX([CustomColumnValue]) -- Not sure how to aggregate VARCHAR data here
FOR [CustomColumnName] IN ('PropertyA', 'PropertyB', 'PropertyC', 'PropertyD')
) AS pvt
But I got Incorrect syntax near 'PropertyA' error. I'm not sure if what I'm trying to do is even possible with the PIVOT function of SQL Server (because I don't think I can aggregate [CustomColumnValue], which is of VARCHAR type). If using PIVOT is not feasible in my use case, is there an efficient, alternative way to achieve what I'm trying to do?
Thank you in advanced for your suggestions/answers!

Answer 1

--remove the Single quotes you will get desired Result set
;With cte(PId, CustomColumnName,CustomColumnValue)
AS
(
SELECT 1,'PropertyA','1' Union all
SELECT 1,'PropertyB','B' Union all
SELECT 1,'PropertyC','C' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyA','1.5' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyB','BB' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyC','CC' Union all
SELECT 3,'PropertyD','D1' Union all
SELECT 3,'PropertyA','2.0'
)
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT [PId], [CustomColumnName], [CustomColumnValue]
FROM cte
) AS src
PIVOT
(
MAX([CustomColumnValue])
FOR [CustomColumnName] IN (PropertyA, PropertyB, PropertyC, PropertyD)
) AS pvt
You can generate the same Result Set using Dynamic Pivot.it is as below
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#temp') IS NOT NULL
Drop table #temp
;With cte(PId, CustomColumnName,CustomColumnValue)
AS
(
SELECT 1,'PropertyA','1' Union all
SELECT 1,'PropertyB','B' Union all
SELECT 1,'PropertyC','C' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyA','1.5' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyB','BB' Union all
SELECT 2,'PropertyC','CC' Union all
SELECT 3,'PropertyD','D1' Union all
SELECT 3,'PropertyA','2.0'
)
SELECT * INTO #temp FROM cte
Declare
#Sql nvarchar(max),
#dynamicCol nvarchar(max)
--Create columns Dynamically
SELECT #dynamicCol=STUFF((SELECT DISTINCT ', '+ QUOTENAME(CustomColumnName )
From #temp For XML PATH ('')),1,1,'')
--SELECT #dynamicCol
SET #Sql='
SELECT [PId] ,'+ #dynamicCol +' From
(
SELECT [PId], [CustomColumnName], [CustomColumnValue] From
#temp
)AS Src
PIVOT
(
MAX([CustomColumnValue]) For [CustomColumnName] IN ('+#dynamicCol+')
)
AS Pvt'
PRINT #Sql
EXEC(#Sql)

Answer 2

Remove the quotes.
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT [PId], [CustomColumnName], [CustomColumnValue]
FROM [myTable]
) AS src
PIVOT
(MAX([CustomColumnValue])
FOR [CustomColumnName] IN ([PropertyA], [PropertyB], [PropertyC], [PropertyD])
) AS pvt
GO
PId | PropertyA | PropertyB | PropertyC | PropertyD
--: | :-------- | :-------- | :-------- | :--------
1 | 1 | B | C | null
2 | 1.5 | BB | CC | null
3 | 2.0 | null | null | D1
dbfiddle here

Answer 3

You require to use quotename of columns
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT [PId], [CustomColumnName], [CustomColumnValue]
FROM [myTable]
) AS src
PIVOT
(
MAX([CustomColumnValue]) -- Not sure how to aggregate VARCHAR data here
FOR [CustomColumnName] IN ([PropertyA], [PropertyB], [PropertyC], [PropertyD]) --provide in squarebrackets if generating dynamic then use quotename() function of sql server
) AS pvt