Extracting data column-wise from table in SQL Server - sql-server

Question

I currently have a piece of code that pivots a table in which the row data is inserted dynamically. The code is shown below:
CREATE TABLE Table1
([empname] varchar(6), [empqual] varchar(10), [emprank] int, [empexp] int)
INSERT INTO Table1
([empname], [empqual], [emprank], [empexp])
VALUES
('Joyce', 'UNIVERSITY', 1, 11),
('Angela', 'MASTERS', 2, 10),
('Lily', 'MASTERS', 3, 9),
('Sasha', 'UNIVERSITY', 3, 9),
('Harry', 'UNIVERSITY', 3, 9)
DECLARE #cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
#query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET #cols = STUFF((SELECT distinct ',' + 'Column' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,Row_Number() OVER (Order By emprank))
FROM Table1 c
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
SET #query = '
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT ''Column'' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,Row_Number() OVER (Order By emprank)) AS Columns,
CONVERT(VARCHAR,empname) as e
FROM Table1
) p
PIVOT
(
MAX (e)
FOR Columns IN
(
' + #cols + ' )
) as pvt
UNION
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT ''Column'' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,Row_Number() OVER (Order By emprank)) AS Columns,
CONVERT(VARCHAR,empqual) as e
FROM Table1
) p
PIVOT
(
MAX (e)
FOR Columns IN
(
' + #cols + ' )
) as pvt
UNION
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT ''Column'' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,Row_Number() OVER (Order By emprank)) AS Columns,
CONVERT(VARCHAR,emprank) as e
FROM Table1
) p
PIVOT
(
MAX (e)
FOR Columns IN
(
' + #cols + ' )
) as pvt
UNION
SELECT *
FROM
(
SELECT ''Column'' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,Row_Number() OVER (Order By emprank)) AS Columns,
CONVERT(VARCHAR,empexp) as e,
FROM Table1
) p
PIVOT
(
MAX (e)
FOR Columns IN
(
' + #cols + ' )
) as pvt
'
EXECUTE (#query)
The result of the above code is as shown below:
Column1 Column2 Column3 Column4 Column5
1 2 3 3 3
11 10 9 9 9
Joyce Angela Lily Sasha Harry
UNIVERSITY MASTERS MASTERS UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY
Now, my application requires that I display each of the columns in this table separately, i.e. each of the columns, and not rows, of this table needs to be exported from this table and transferred, possibly into a temporary table, from which it can be displayed easily.
I am well aware of the fact that relational DBs are designed in such a way so as to consider rows, not columns, as individual entities. However, I am constrained by the application on which I am working, which requires code that extracts the data in this table column-wise so that they can be displayed separately.
How would I go about doing this?

Answer 1

This is a terminology overlap.
In SQL, "row" means (roughly) a single entity, and "column" means a property on the entities.
In UI, "row" means data arranged horizontally, and "column" means data arranged vertically.
Your requirement is that you should display your entities vertically. So, retrieve your entities (SQL rows) and then add code in your application to display this data in UI columns. It's unfortunate and perhaps confusing that the terms are the same here, but remember, your database structure (and choice of terminology) is completely irrelevant to your UI layout.
As to what code in your application is required to display the data... well, you haven't even told us what language it's in, so I can't help there.