Search for a string in any column of all tables - sql-server

Question

For example this is my ID: 07E485
I need to find this ID in all tables wherever it is found
All columns, which might carry this value, are sort of string-type...
Something like: select * from **alltables** where **anyColumn**='07E485'

Answer 1

The following query will return all tables in the database yourDBName whose name contains 07E485.
SELECT TABLE_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' AND
TABLE_CATALOG = 'yourDBName' AND
TABLE_NAME LIKE '%07E485%'
If I misread your requirement, and you instead wanted to find all tables precisely named 07E485 in any database, then you can use the following query:
SELECT TABLE_NAME
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE' AND
TABLE_NAME = '07E485'

Answer 2

In each database you have a view called INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS, you can use this view to query through all of your tables.
This is the way I'ld do it, if anyone know a better way, feel free.. :)
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE #Table varchar(255), #Schema varchar(255), #SQL varchar(MAX)
DECLARE table_cursor CURSOR FOR
SELECT TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS -- This is a system view where you can see all columns of a database.
WHERE UPPER(COLUMN_NAME) = 'ID' -- This makes sure you don't loop through any tables that don't have a Column called 'ID'.
OPEN table_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM table_cursor INTO #Table, #Schema
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN
-- This part creates your queries.
SET #SQL = 'SELECT * FROM '+#Schema+'.'+#Table+'
WHERE CAST(ID as varchar) = ''07E485''' -- Casting ID to varchar to avoid data type errors.
-- This executes the query.
EXEC(#SQL)
-- If a result is found, i.e. ID is equal to '07E485' somewhere in the table, Table name is printed on the "Messages" tab.
IF ##ROWCOUNT > 0 PRINT #Table
FETCH NEXT FROM table_cursor INTO #Table, #Schema
END
CLOSE table_cursor
DEALLOCATE table_cursor
To see which tables contain id = '07E485', go to "Messages" and you will have a list of them.

Answer 3

UPDATE My answer completely re-written
Try it like this: This dynamic SQL will check all string-type columns if they are equal to the given search string. You might want to add more data types to the output to get a better look onto the table's row. But one cannot simply put SELECT * as there are data types not allowed in XML without extra effort.
Secondly, by using QUOTENAME, I avoid syntax errors due to column or table names with blanks...
DECLARE #Search VARCHAR(10)='07E485';
DECLARE #cmd VARCHAR(MAX);
WITH TableNames AS
(
SELECT t.*
,t.TABLE_CATALOG + '.' + t.TABLE_SCHEMA + '.' + t.TABLE_NAME AS FullTblName
,QUOTENAME(t.TABLE_CATALOG)+ '.' + QUOTENAME(t.TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(t.TABLE_NAME) AS FullTblNameQuoted
,
STUFF(
(
SELECT 'OR ' + QUOTENAME(c.COLUMN_NAME) + '=''' + #Search + ''' '
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS c
WHERE c.TABLE_CATALOG=t.TABLE_CATALOG AND c.TABLE_SCHEMA=t.TABLE_SCHEMA AND c.TABLE_NAME=t.TABLE_NAME
AND DATA_TYPE LIKE '%char%' --add more types if needed
FOR XML PATH('')
),1,3,'') AS WhereFilter
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES AS t
WHERE TABLE_TYPE='BASE TABLE'
)
SELECT #cmd = STUFF(
(
SELECT DISTINCT 'UNION ALL SELECT (SELECT ' + (SELECT STUFF((SELECT ',' + QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME)
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS AS c
WHERE c.TABLE_CATALOG=TableNames.TABLE_CATALOG
AND c.TABLE_NAME =TableNames.TABLE_NAME
AND c.DATA_TYPE LIKE '%char%'
FOR XML PATH('')),1,1,'')) + ' FROM ' + FullTblNameQuoted
+ ' WHERE ' + WhereFilter
+ ' FOR XML PATH(''row''),ROOT(''' + REPLACE(REPLACE(FullTblName,'.','_'),' ','') + '''),TYPE) AS XmlData '
FROM TableNames
WHERE WhereFilter IS NOT NULL
FOR XML PATH('')
),1,10,'')
SET #cmd='SELECT XmlData FROM(' + #cmd + ') AS tbl WHERE XmlData IS NOT NULL;'
PRINT LEN(#cmd)
EXEC(#cmd)