Question

Can't get return value out of a stored procedure (SQL 2000)

Asked by: raterus

I have an exe that runs based on parameters and returns a value by updating a table.  Crude, but it should work.

I'm wrapping this exe functionality into a stored procedure, for which I'll call with paramters, and get a return value from it.

I'm having trouble getting this value out of the stored procedure.  It's there, because if I uncomment line 22 below, I'll see it when executing the lower SQL.

Can someone tell me why I can't get this value out of the procedure using the method I'm using.  I tried also rewriting to use output parameters, but that did not work either.

alter procedure [dbo].[IRR]
	@sql varchar(8000),
	@columnName varchar(200),
	@guess float = 0.1
AS
 
declare @id int
 
Insert Into JobsReturnValues (returnValue)
select NULL
 
select @id=scope_identity()
 
declare @rc int
declare @cmd varchar(8000)
SET @cmd = 'some.exe id=' + cast(@id as varchar(10))
exec @rc=master.dbo.xp_cmdshell @cmd, NO_OUTPUT
 
declare @result float
 
select @result=returnValue from JobsReturnValues where id=@id
--select @result
 
return @result
 
********************************
 
declare @result float
exec @result=dbo.IRR @sql='select cashflow from mytable'' order by effdate',
	@columnName='cashflow',
	@guess=0.1
select @result
                                  
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Asked On
2009-09-28 at 07:23:04ID24766866
Topic

MS SQL Server

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: kenpemPosted on 2009-09-28 at 09:06:39ID: 25440506

Is it possible that the select NULL is clearing scope_identity() ?  My practise has always been to store scope_identity immediately after the insert.

Try PRINTing the value of the ID, then querying the table manually - do you then get what you expect?

Are you certain that the exe is returning the value you expect?

Are you certain the sproc waits for the exe to complete before continuing?

What IS returned? NULL?

Sorry, more questions than answers here, but hopefully one of them points you at a solution, or at least gives us a bit more to go on.

 

by: raterusPosted on 2009-09-28 at 09:12:02ID: 25440560

I'm not returning "@id", I'm returning "@result".  Like I said in the question, if I uncomment line 22, I'll see the correct value, which will rule out most of the stupid mistake questions :-)

The value returned is 0, don't quite know where that is coming from.

 

by: kenpemPosted on 2009-09-28 at 09:20:34ID: 25440642

Bizarre, that should work.

I've never been comfortable with the idea of returning values from sprocs, goes against my Pascal background Bo)  and instead always code things like this as functions instead. Might be worth a try?

 

by: raterusPosted on 2009-09-28 at 09:22:23ID: 25440659

Can't use a UDF here since I'm inserting into a table, albeit temporary.  Believe me, I've tried everything!

 

by: acperkinsPosted on 2009-09-28 at 17:46:57ID: 25445059

The answer is quite simple you are missing:
SET NOCOUNT ON

If you need an explanation of why that makes all the difference, just ask.  But I suspect it is self-evident.

 

by: raterusPosted on 2009-09-29 at 05:51:44ID: 25448339

Yes, a little explanation would help.  I understand what NOCOUNT does, but I would never have guessed that would affect output parameters.

And yes, that did fix the problem!

 

by: acperkinsPosted on 2009-09-29 at 10:13:33ID: 25451148

You have chosen to return output from your stored procedure using a resultset (we could argue whether that is the best way in this case, but that is besides the point), but your app is reading the information messages before it gets to read the resultset.  So in your case the first resultset contains "x numer of rows affected" or words to that effect, rather then the contents of your resultset.  

So you have a choice:

Method A:  (Assuming you are using ADO) Use the Recordset's NextRecordset method to skip that information and read into the next resultset.  In case you are not using ADO, here is the definition of that method:
"Clears the current Recordset object and returns the next Recordset object by looping through a series of commands"

Method B: Use SET NOCOUNT ON and avoid reading in the informational messages in the first place.

The choice seems obvious to me.

 

by: acperkinsPosted on 2009-09-29 at 10:16:21ID: 25451170

>>but I would never have guessed that would affect output parameters.<<
Incidentally and just a slight correction it does not affect output parameters, it affects resultsets and the objects and methods used to handle them.

 

by: raterusPosted on 2009-09-29 at 10:55:56ID: 31634380

Thanks for the all-too-easy solution, I'll definitely have to keep this in mind next time I use something like this.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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