Question

Combining standard SELECT and EXEC statements with UNION ALL

Asked by: pique_tech

(This is tangentially related to http://www.experts-exchange.com/Databases/Microsoft_SQL_Server/Q_21182188.html)

Can anyone confirm whether it's possible to combine "standard" SELECT statements and EXECUTE statements that return records into one result set using UNION ALL, i.e.,

SELECT blah1, blah2, blah3
FROM table1
UNION ALL
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table2
...
UNION ALL
EXEC SomeValidStoredProc   --which returns records like blahX, blahY, blahZ
...

Of course, I've already validated that
1.  my SELECTs and EXECUTEs are all column-wise datatype compatible and
2.  all return results when run individually

I'm building a pretty long SELECT ... FOR XML EXPLICIT so the format is pretty strictly defined.  As usual, thanks in advance.

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Asked On
2004-10-25 at 19:20:36ID21182359
Tags

exec

,

select

,

sql

Topic

MS SQL Server

Participating Experts
5
Points
250
Comments
12

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Answers

 

by: arbertPosted on 2004-10-25 at 19:33:56ID: 12406986

No, you would have to perform the exec into a temporary table first and then union the results.  Either that, or possible use a UDF.

 

by: kselviaPosted on 2004-10-25 at 19:41:56ID: 12407024

In a sense it is possible if the exec returns the same columns as the selects you can create a new procedure

create procedure p_select_and exec as

begin

SELECT blah1, blah2, blah3
FROM table1
UNION ALL
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table2

EXEC SomeValidStoredProc   --which returns records like blahX, blahY, blahZ

end

exec p_select_and_exec will return a single result with the SELECTS combined with the exec.

(At least I believe it will but I don't think I have ever actually done it.)

 

by: sigmaconPosted on 2004-10-25 at 20:26:27ID: 12407256

kselvia, that approach sounded interesting, so I tried it:

create proc p1
as
    select *
    from h
    where [left] between 11 and 26
go

create proc p2
as
    select *
    from h
    where [left] > 25

    execute p1
go


I got two result sets. Maybe I am doing something wrong

 

by: kselviaPosted on 2004-10-25 at 20:27:23ID: 12407262

I'm not really suprised. I knew it was a possibility :)  Thanks for testing it!

 

by: ala_frostyPosted on 2004-10-25 at 20:40:55ID: 12407333

Writing out what I first thought of and Arbert stated:

Create #tblTemp (blah1 int, blah2 bigint, blah3 bit)

INSERT INTO #tblTemp
  EXEC SomeValidStoredProc

INSERT INTO #tblTemp
FROM (
SELECT blah1, blah2, blah3
FROM table1
UNION
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table2
UNION
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table3) As AllTheBlahs

Select *
FROM #tblTemp

 

by: arbertPosted on 2004-10-25 at 20:59:00ID: 12407400

Why move the records twice and double the work --just union from the first:

Create #tblTemp (blah1 int, blah2 bigint, blah3 bit)

INSERT INTO #tblTemp
  EXEC SomeValidStoredProc

SELECT blah1, blah2, blah3
FROM table1
UNION
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table2
UNION
SELECT blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
FROM table3
union
select blah1a, blah2a, blah3a
from #tblTemp

 

by: ala_frostyPosted on 2004-10-25 at 22:20:09ID: 12407794

Good point arbert

 

by: ScottPletcherPosted on 2004-10-26 at 11:13:32ID: 12413908

You don't need a temp table at all if you are willing to set up a native SQL login and userid to exec the sp.  For example:


SELECT *
FROM someTable
UNION ALL
SELECT ors.*
FROM OPENROWSET('SQLOLEDB','SQLServerName';'UserId';'password',
   'EXEC someValidStoredProc') ors


Naturally the login/userid must have authority to exec the sp.

 

by: ScottPletcherPosted on 2004-10-26 at 11:14:10ID: 12413912

NOTE: OPENROWSET will only return the FIRST result set from the sp; any others are ignored.

 

by: pique_techPosted on 2004-10-26 at 11:41:54ID: 12414194

Thanks to all for the insight and feedback.  I opted to take another path altogether:  I moved my function from a linked server to the local server but calling data from the linked server--ended up being much cleaner than trying to call the function and providing the parameter from the linked server.

 

by: arbertPosted on 2004-10-26 at 20:39:26ID: 12418283

Nice Scott....

 

by: ScottPletcherPosted on 2004-10-27 at 06:50:11ID: 12422101

Thanks arbert.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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