Select any column with respect to cell containing - sql-server

Question

I have a table named a. Some cells containing a string 'Empty' in many columns. I want to find this columns. Can you help me?.

Answer 1

Try this dynamic query, it will check all the columns with character data and list the columns which has the word 'Empty'.
DECLARE #SearchText VARCHAR(50) = 'Empty'
DECLARE #sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'SELECT '
SELECT #sql = #sql + 'MAX(CASE WHEN ' + c.COLUMN_NAME + ' LIKE ''%'+ #SearchText +'%'' THEN ''' + c.COLUMN_NAME +''' ELSE '''' END) + '','' + '
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS c WHERE c.TABLE_SCHEMA = 'dbo' and c.TABLE_NAME = 'a'
AND c.DATA_TYPE IN ('varchar','char','nvarchar','nchar','sysname')
SET #sql = #sql + ''''' FROM dbo.a'
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #sql
Hope this helps

Answer 2

Use the LIKE operator:
SELECT a.*
FROM a
WHERE a.col1 LIKE '%Empty%' OR a.col2 LIKE '%Empty%' OR ...

Answer 3

In sql server you can get object id of table then using that object id you can fetch columns. In that case it will be as below:
Step 1: First get Object Id of table
select * from sys.tables order by name
Step 2: Now get columns of your table and search in it:
select * from a where 'Empty' in (select name from sys.columns where object_id =1977058079)
Note: object_id is what you get fetch in first step for you relevant table

Answer 4

You can do it using unpivot with an help of dynamic query , here i have done below an working sample for you , there might be some modification you might have to do to put the below psedo code with your working .
Sample table structure been used :
create table ColTest
(
name1 varchar(10),
name2 varchar(10),
name3 varchar(10),
name4 varchar(10)
)
insert into ColTest values ('sdas','asdasda','ewrewr','erefds')
insert into ColTest values ('sdas','asdasda','EMPTY','erefds')
insert into ColTest values ('EMPTY','asdasda','ewrewr','erefds')
DECLARE #table_name SYSNAME
SELECT #table_name = 'ColTest'
DECLARE #tmpTable SYSNAME
SELECT #tmpTable = 'ColTest2'
DECLARE #SQL NVARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT #SQL = '
SELECT * into
' + #tmpTable + '
FROM ' + #table_name + '
UNPIVOT (
cell_value FOR column_name IN (
' + STUFF((
SELECT ', [' + c.name + ']'
FROM sys.columns c WITH(NOLOCK)
LEFT JOIN (
SELECT i.[object_id], i.column_id
FROM sys.index_columns i WITH(NOLOCK)
WHERE i.index_id = 1
) i ON c.[object_id] = i.[object_id] AND c.column_id = i.column_id
WHERE c.[object_id] = OBJECT_ID(#table_name)
AND i.[object_id] IS NULL
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)'), 1, 2, '') + '
)
) unpiv'
PRINT #SQL
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #SQL
select * from ColTest2 where cell_value = 'EMPTY'

Answer 5

I'd suggest dynamic SQL
--First you set the variable #TableName to your actual table's name.
DECLARE #TableName VARCHAR(100)='a';
--The following statement will create a list of all columns with a data type containing the word "char" (others should not hold the value Empty)
DECLARE #ColList VARCHAR(MAX)=
STUFF(
(
SELECT ' OR ' + COLUMN_NAME + ' LIKE ''%empty%'''
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME=#TableName AND DATA_TYPE LIKE '%char%'
FOR XML PATH('')
),1,4,'');
--This statement builds a command
DECLARE #cmd VARCHAR(MAX)=
(
SELECT 'SELECT * FROM [' + #TableName + '] WHERE ' + #ColList
);
--Here you can see the command
PRINT #cmd;
--And here it is executed
EXEC(#cmd);