How to make row data comma separated in SQL? - sql-server

Question

I am having one query which returns me following output.
(No of results not same all time, means sometimes it gives 3 category,sometimes 8 category etc..)
CategoryName
Test1
Test2
Test3
Now i want that store procedure should return me these date in comma separated format.
e.g. output string should be like: Test1,Test2,Test3
Can you please tell me how can i achieve this?

Answer 1

this will work for all characters in your data:
set nocount on;
declare #YourTable table (BirthDay datetime, PersonName varchar(20))
insert into #YourTable VALUES ('1-10-2010', 'Joe' )
insert into #YourTable VALUES ('2-10-2010', 'Bob <&>' )
insert into #YourTable VALUES ('2-10-2010', 'Alice')
set nocount off
--Concatenation with FOR XML and eleminating control/encoded character expansion "& < >"
SELECT
p1.BirthDay
,STUFF(
(SELECT
', ' + p2.PersonName
FROM #YourTable p2
WHERE p2.BirthDay=p1.BirthDay
ORDER BY p2.PersonName
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.','varchar(max)')
,1,2, ''
) AS PersonNames
FROM #YourTable p1
GROUP BY p1.BirthDay
OUTPUT:
BirthDay PersonNames
----------------------- ------------------------
2010-01-10 00:00:00.000 Joe
2010-02-10 00:00:00.000 Alice, Bob <&>
(2 row(s) affected)

Answer 2

Try COALESCE or ISNULL:
DECLARE #returnValue varchar(MAX)
SELECT
#returnValue = COALESCE(#returnValue + ', ', '') + CategoryName
FROM
TableName

Answer 3

Have a look at something like (Full working example)
DECLARE #Table TABLE(
ID INT,
Val VARCHAR(50)
)
INSERT INTO #Table (ID,Val) SELECT 1, 'A'
INSERT INTO #Table (ID,Val) SELECT 1, 'B'
INSERT INTO #Table (ID,Val) SELECT 1, 'C'
INSERT INTO #Table (ID,Val) SELECT 2, 'B'
INSERT INTO #Table (ID,Val) SELECT 2, 'C'
--Concat
SELECT t.ID,
STUFF((
SELECT ',' + t1.Val
FROM #Table AS t1
WHERE t1.ID = t.ID
FOR XML PATH('')
), 1, 1, '')
FROM #Table t
GROUP BY t.ID
Also, you might find that Googling will provide a lot of answers.

Answer 4

One means:
SELECT STUFF((
SELECT ',' + CategoryName AS [text()]
FROM YourTable
FOR XML PATH('')
), 1, 1, '')
...but watch out for XML entities that will be escaped up - e.g. & => &

Answer 5

Just modify the KM answer in a store procedure
ALTER Procedure [dbo].[Payroll_rptAbsentReport]
#FromDate DateTime,
#ToDate DateTime,
#GFacatoryID UniqueIdentifier
As
Begin
-- Temporary table for Row data seperation
CREATE TABLE TestTable(GEmployeeGenInfoID uniqueidentifier, dtAttendDateTime varchar(max))
INSERT INTO
TestTable(GEmployeeGenInfoID, dtAttendDateTime)
SELECT
Payroll_tblAttendance.GEmployeeGenInfoID
,CONVERT(VARCHAR(max), dtAttendDateTime, 105)dtAttendDateTime
FROM Payroll_tblAttendance
INNER JOIN PIS.dbo.PIS_tblEmployeeGenInfo as EmployeeGenInfo ON Payroll_tblAttendance.GEmployeeGenInfoID= EmployeeGenInfo.GEmployeeGenInfoID
WHERE Payroll_tblAttendance.DayStatusID = 0 AND EmployeeGenInfo.GFactoryID=#GFacatoryID AND Payroll_tblAttendance.dtAttendDateTime Between #FromDate and #ToDate ORDER BY dtAttendDateTime
-- Final expected output
SELECT DISTINCT
EmployeeGenInfo.StrEmpName
,EmployeeGenInfo.StrEmpID
,Attendence.CardNo
,EmployeeDesignation.StrDesignationName
,EmployeeDept.StrDepartmentName
-- Count data will be in one column
,(Select COUNT(*) From TestTable Where GEmployeeGenInfoID=Attendence.GEmployeeGenInfoID) TotalAbsent
-- Row data set into one column seperate by coma
,substring( ( SELECT ', ' + dtAttendDateTime as [text()]
FROM TestTable
WHERE GEmployeeGenInfoID = Attendence.GEmployeeGenInfoID
FOR XML path(''), elements
), 3, 1000
) List
FROM
Payroll_tblAttendance as Attendence
INNER JOIN TestTable on TestTable.GEmployeeGenInfoID=Attendence.GEmployeeGenInfoID
INNER JOIN PIS.dbo.PIS_tblEmployeeGenInfo as EmployeeGenInfo ON Attendence.GEmployeeGenInfoID= EmployeeGenInfo.GEmployeeGenInfoID
INNER JOIN PIS.dbo.PIS_tblDesignationInfo as EmployeeDesignation ON EmployeeGenInfo.GDesignationInfoID= EmployeeDesignation.GDesignationInfoID
INNER JOIN PIS.dbo.PIS_tblDepartment as EmployeeDept ON EmployeeGenInfo.GDepartmentID= EmployeeDept.GDepartmentID
WHERE EmployeeGenInfo.GFactoryID=#GFacatoryID AND Attendence.DayStatusID = 0 AND Attendence.dtAttendDateTime Between #FromDate and #ToDate
DROP TABLE TestTable
END