SQL Script to Find Text in all Database Tables and Viewsโ€ฆRevised! Again!

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The SQL script below, which modifies one I wrote last year, has been modified to work with SQL Server 2008 and newer versions. On these versions, when querying SQL Server to output the schema of a database table, length values of MAX are returned as -1. Since this script builds table variables that mimic the schema of the actual table, this needed to be accounted for so no errors would occur as a result of the MAX length being used.

If MAX values are not used, the output of this script should be no different than on the previous version.

-- Set database to search
USE dbname
GO
SET NOCOUNT ON
SET ANSI_WARNINGS OFF
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Set test value here and set @SearchViews to 1 if views are to be included - 0 if not; no other code below changes
-- Set @PrintAllSQLStmts to 1 if you want all of the statements printed as messages
DECLARE @TestValue VARCHAR(8000)
DECLARE @SearchViews BIT
DECLARE @PrintAllSQLStmts BIT

SET @PrintAllSQLStmts = 0
SET @SearchViews = 0
SET @TestValue = 'text to search'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

/* If the version of SQL Server is 2005 or newer, these can be set to MAX rather than 8000 */
DECLARE @SQL VARCHAR(8000)
DECLARE @varSQL VARCHAR(8000)
DECLARE @WhereClause VARCHAR(8000)
/******************************************************************************************/

DECLARE @TableName VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @varTableName VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @TableSchema VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @ColumnName VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @MaxLength VARCHAR(4)
DECLARE @NMaxLength VARCHAR(4)

IF @@VERSION LIKE 'Microsoft SQL Server  2000%'
	BEGIN
		SET @MaxLength = '8000'
		SET @NMaxLength = '4000'
	END
ELSE
	BEGIN
		SET @MaxLength = 'MAX'
		SET @NMaxLength = 'MAX'
	END

DECLARE @SchemaObjects TABLE (
	TABLE_NAME VARCHAR(128),
	TABLE_SCHEMA VARCHAR(128)
)

DECLARE @TypeTable TABLE (
	UserType VARCHAR(128) PRIMARY KEY,
	BaseType VARCHAR(128)
)

DECLARE @SizableTypes TABLE (
	TypeName VARCHAR(128) PRIMARY KEY
)

INSERT INTO @SizableTypes VALUES ('VARBINARY')
INSERT INTO @SizableTypes VALUES ('VARCHAR')
INSERT INTO @SizableTypes VALUES ('NVARCHAR')
INSERT INTO @SizableTypes VALUES ('CHAR')
INSERT INTO @SizableTypes VALUES ('NCHAR')

INSERT INTO @TypeTable
SELECT ut.name, bt.name FROM SysTypes ut, SysTypes bt
 WHERE ut.xusertype > 256 AND bt.xusertype < 256
 AND ut.xtype = bt.xtype

INSERT INTO @SchemaObjects
SELECT TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
	WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'

IF @SearchViews = 1
BEGIN
	INSERT INTO @SchemaObjects
	SELECT TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.VIEWS
END

DECLARE TableCursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA FROM @SchemaObjects

OPEN TableCursor
FETCH NEXT FROM TableCursor INTO @TableName, @TableSchema
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
	SET @WhereClause = ''

	DECLARE ColumnCursor CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
	SELECT COLUMN_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
		WHERE TABLE_NAME = @TableName AND TABLE_SCHEMA = @TableSchema AND ((DATA_TYPE IN ('CHAR','NCHAR','VARCHAR','NVARCHAR')) AND (CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH IS NOT NULL) AND (CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH >= LEN(@TestValue)) OR DATA_TYPE IN ('TEXT','NTEXT'))
	OPEN ColumnCursor
	FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnCursor INTO @ColumnName
	WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
	BEGIN
		IF LEN(@WhereClause) > 0 SET @WhereClause = @WhereClause + ' OR '
		SET @WhereClause = @WhereClause + '(CONVERT(VARCHAR,[' + @ColumnName + ']) LIKE ''%' + @TestValue + '%'')'
		FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnCursor INTO @ColumnName
	END
	CLOSE ColumnCursor
	DEALLOCATE ColumnCursor
	IF LEN(@WhereClause) > 0
	BEGIN
		SET @varTableName = REPLACE(@TableName,' ','_')
		SET @varSQL = 'DECLARE @' + @varTableName + ' TABLE (' + CHAR(10)
		SELECT @varSQL = @varSQL + ' [' + sc.name + '] ' +
		CASE WHEN st.name = 'TIMESTAMP' THEN 'DATETIME'
			 WHEN tt.UserType IS NOT NULL THEN UPPER(tt.BaseType)
		ELSE UPPER(st.name) END +
		CASE WHEN tt.BaseType IN (SELECT TypeName FROM @SizableTypes) OR st.name IN (SELECT TypeName FROM @SizableTypes) THEN '(' +
			CASE WHEN (LEFT(tt.BaseType,3) = 'VAR' OR LEFT(st.name,3) = 'VAR') AND (sc.[length] >= 8000 OR sc.[length] = -1) THEN @MaxLength
				 WHEN (LEFT(tt.BaseType,3) = 'NVA' OR LEFT(st.name,3) = 'NVA') AND (sc.[length] >= 4000 OR sc.[length] = -1) THEN @NMaxLength
			ELSE CAST(sc.[length] AS VARCHAR) END + ') '
		ELSE ' ' END +
		CASE WHEN sc.isnullable = 1 THEN 'NULL' ELSE 'NOT NULL' END + ',' + CHAR(10)
		FROM SysObjects so
		JOIN SysColumns sc ON sc.id = so.id
		JOIN SysTypes st ON st.xusertype = sc.xusertype
		LEFT OUTER JOIN @TypeTable tt ON st.name = tt.UserType
		WHERE so.name = @TableName
		ORDER BY sc.colid		

		SET @SQL =  CHAR(10) + 'SELECT ''[' + @TableSchema + '].[' + @TableName + ']'' AS [Table Schema/Table Name], * FROM [' + @TableSchema + '].[' + @TableName + '] WHERE ' + @WhereClause + ';'
		SELECT @varSQL = SUBSTRING(@varSQL,1,LEN(@varSQL) - 2) + CHAR(10) + ');' + CHAR(10)

		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + 'INSERT INTO @' + @varTableName + CHAR(10) + 'SELECT * FROM [' + @TableSchema + '].[' + @TableName + ']' + CHAR(10) + 'WHERE ' + @WhereClause + ';' + CHAR(10)
		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + 'IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM @' + @varTableName + ')' + CHAR(10)
		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + 'BEGIN' + CHAR(10)
		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + '   SET NOCOUNT OFF;' + CHAR(10)		

		IF @PrintAllSQLStmts = 0
			SET @varSQL = @varSQL + '   PRINT ''' + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + '/* New Query */' + CHAR(10) + REPLACE(@SQL,'''','''''') + ''';'  + CHAR(10)
		ELSE
			PRINT CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + '/* New Query */' + @SQL + CHAR(10)		

		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + '   SELECT ''[' + @TableSchema + '].[' + @TableName + ']'' AS [Table Schema/Table Name], * FROM @' + @varTableName + ';' + CHAR(10)		

		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + '   SET NOCOUNT ON;' + CHAR(10)
		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + 'END' + CHAR(10)
		SET @varSQL = @varSQL + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10)
		--PRINT @varSQL
		EXEC (@varSQL)
		IF @@ERROR <> 0
		BEGIN
			PRINT '/* Statement causing error */' + CHAR(10) + CHAR(10) + @varSQL + CHAR(10) + '/* End Statement */' + CHAR(10)
			PRINT 'Length of SQL statement: ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR,LEN(@varSQL)) + CHAR(10)
		END
	END
	FETCH NEXT FROM TableCursor INTO @TableName, @TableSchema
END
CLOSE TableCursor
DEALLOCATE TableCursor

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Courses for Summer Learning

learning new things

Two courses that have recently been made available (though I haven’t yet had the opportunity to take) at Code School are Powering Up With React (for React) and an HTML/CSS class called The Elements of Web Design.

Summertime – which is rapidly approaching – is a good time to commit to spending time picking up new skills and refreshing old ones. I have little experience with React, so this presents an excellent opportunity to see what capabilities are made available there.

learning new things

Whether you choose to take the above courses, or look elsewhere for learning, commit to spending a little time each day studying to pick up new skills – it may not sound like much effort to spend toward a large task, but the results could surprise you!