SQL counting in columns inside cursor - sql-server

Question

What is want to do is the following:
declare #Count numeric (10)
set #Count = 0
set #Count = (select count(*) from FILENAME where COLUMNNAME like '%e%')
print(#tel)
I want it do be done on a few files that have a lot of columns and have a total count for all the columns, so my idea was to get a columnlist of each file by doint something like:
select * from sys.columns
where object_id = ( select object_id from sys.objects where name = 'FILENAME')
Now the easiest way i thought would be using a cursor and have the #Counts added up there in another variable. But the problem i am having is that when COLUMNNAME is in a variable in the cursor i can only (as far as i know) make the query like:
declare #SQL varchar(max)
set #SQL = #SQL + 'set #Count = (select count(*) from FILENAME where '
+ #columnname + ' like ''%e%'' )'
set #tot_Count = #tot_Count + #Count
But as I understand from reading around dynamic sql inside a cursor is a big no.
And though when i see the "print (sql)" the queries seem to be right it doesnt seem to work indeed in a cursos.
Is there another way to get the results i want?
Or am i doing something wrong here?
For reference, this was the idea i had in total:
DECLARE #columnname VARCHAR(50)
DECLARE #tot_Count NUMERIC(10), #Count NUMERIC(10)
set #tot_Count = 0
DECLARE MyCursor CURSOR FOR
SELECT name
from sys.columns
where object_id = ( select object_id from sys.objects where name = 'FILENAME' )
open MyCursor
FETCH NEXT FROM MyCursor INTO #columnname
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
declare #SQL varchar(max)
set #SQL =''
set #Count = 0
set #SQL = #SQL + 'set #teller = (select count(*) from FILENAME where ' + #columnname + ' like ''%e%'' )'
print (#SQL)
exec (#SQL)
set #tot_Count = #tot_Count + #Count
FETCH NEXT FROM MyCursor into #name
END
CLOSE MyCursor
DEALLOCATE MyCursor
print (#tot_teller)

Answer 1

Variant 1: You can use dynamic variable instead of cursor operation.
declare #qry varchar(max)
select #qry = isnull(#qry + ' union all', '') + ' select count(*) cnt from ' + object_name(object_id) + ' where ' + name + ' like ''%e%'''
from sys.columns
where object_id = object_id('YourTableName')
set #qry = 'select sum(cnt) from (' + #qry + ') q'
print #qry
exec (#qry)
It's shorter, better, but exec is limited by 4000 chars.
Variant 2: Or you can use your cursor and via dynamic qry insert into your preprepared temp table.
if object_id('tempdb..#tmptbl') is not null drop table #tmptbl
create table #tmptbl (cnt int not null)
declare #colqry varchar(800)
declare mycursor cursor for
select 'insert into #tmptbl (cnt) select count(*) cnt from ' + object_name(object_id) + ' where ' + name + ' like ''%e%'''
from sys.columns
where object_id = object_id('YourTableName')
open mycursor
fetch next from mycursor into #colqry
while ##fetch_status = 0
begin
print #colqry
exec (#colqry)
fetch next from mycursor into #colqry
end
close mycursor
deallocate mycursor
select sum(cnt) from #tmptbl

Answer 2

DECLARE #tot_Count int = 0
DECLARE #Separator varchar(1) = ','
DECLARE #Position INT = 1
DECLARE #ColumnNameList varchar(MAX)
DECLARE #ColumnName varchar(1000)
DECLARE #SQL varchar(max) = ''
SET #ColumnNameList = STUFF(( SELECT name
from sys.columns
where object_id in ( select object_id from sys.objects where name = 'FILENAME' ) FOR XML PATH('')),1,1,'')+','
--print #FileNameList
WHILE (CHARINDEX(#Separator,#ColumnNameList,#Position)!=0)
BEGIN
SET #ColumnName = SUBSTRING(#ColumnNameList,#Position,CHARINDEX(#Separator,#ColumnNameList,#Position)-#Position)
SET #SQL = #SQL + 'set #tot_Count = (select count(*) from FILENAME where ' + #ColumnName + ' like ''%e%'' )'
-- print (#SQL)
EXEC (#SQL)
SET #tot_Count = #tot_Count + #tot_Count
SET #Position = CHARINDEX(#Separator,#ColumnNameList,#Position)+1
END
PRINT (#tot_Count)