Recursive function until result = 0

Hi QPR,

Try this link
http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2012/04/24/sql-server-introduction-to-hierarchical-query-using-a-recursive-cte-a-primer/

The recursive hierarchy is solved very nicely with a CTE - Common Table Expression.

HTH
  David

Thanks. Looks a bit heavy for 8am before my first coffee. I'll give it a read and see if I can apply it to my scenario :)

Thanks, I'm getting the concept of the CTE but am having problems visualising what I need to achieve let alone code it!

I'm basically trying to build a file path
A record has a recordID and (until it reaches the top level) has a parentID


I need to take the initial record ID and string together ALL it's parentID until ParentID = 0.
At this point I will concatonate StructureID to the end of the string

I need to requery the records table each time ParentID <> 0
ParentID will become the recordID for subsequent selects.
As soon as parentID becomes 0 then we select structureID

So (assuming a given record has 3 parents) we would end up with

recordID + '/' + parentID '/' + parentID '/' + parentID + '/' + StructureID



get the parentID

select parentID from the table
where recordID = 123

repeat and concatonate until parentID = 0
Take built string and add '/' + StructureID where recordID = last found ParentID

Does that make sense?

Hi QPR,

I've taken Pinal's final query and added a string to it.

use tempdb
go

if object_id( N'tempdb..#e', N'U' ) is not null 
	drop table #e;
	
create table #e(
	EmpID int identity( 1, 1 )
	, FirstName varchar( 30 )
	, LastName varchar( 30 )
	, ManagerID int
	)
;

insert #e( FirstName, LastName, ManagerID )
	values( 'Alex', 'Adams', 11 )
	, ( 'Barry', 'Brown', 11 )
	, ( 'Lee', 'Osako', 11 )
	, ( 'David', 'Kennson', 11 )
	, ( 'Eric', 'Bender', 11 )
	, ( 'Lisa', 'Kendall', 4 )
	, ( 'David', 'Lonning', 11 )
	, ( 'John', 'Marshbank', 4 )
	, ( 'James', 'Newton', 3 )
	, ( 'Terry', 'O''Haire', 3 )
	, ( 'Sally', 'Smith', null )
	, ( 'Barbara', 'O''Neil', 4 )
	, ( 'Phil', 'Wilconkinski', 4 )
;
	
select *
from #e
;

select 
	Boss.EmpID
	, Boss.FirstName
	, Boss.LastName
	, Boss.ManagerID
from #e as Boss
where
	Boss.ManagerID is null
;

select
	Emp.EmpID
	, Emp.FirstName
	, Emp.LastName
	, Emp.ManagerID
from #e as Emp
where
	Emp.ManagerID is not null
;

with EmployeeList as (
	select
		Boss.EmpID
		, Boss.FirstName
		, Boss.LastName
		, Boss.ManagerID
		, 1 as EmplLevel
		, convert( varchar( 100 ), '' ) as ReportLine
	from #e as Boss
	where
		Boss.ManagerID is null
	
	union all

	select
		Emp.EmpID
		, Emp.FirstName
		, Emp.LastName
		, Emp.ManagerID
		, el.EmplLevel + 1
		, convert( varchar( 100 ), el.FirstName + '/' + el.ReportLine )
	from #e as Emp
	inner join EmployeeList as el
		on el.EmpID = emp.ManagerID
	where
		Emp.ManagerID is not null
	)

select * from EmployeeList
;

Select allOpen in new window

This builds a reportline string showing the reporting line.

The key is that the recursive query references

Hope this clarifies things.

Regards
  David

sorry

The key is that the recursive query references the CTE
eg
el.EmpLevel + 1

Regards
  DAvid

Thanks, I'm "sort of" following it but not having much luck applying it to my scenario.
Below is an image below that shows some sample data


So we pass recordID 123 to our t-sql and see it has a ParentID > 0 (we store the title of 123)
We then requery the ParentID where recordID = 456 (we store the title of 456)
If parentID is > 0 then we repeat the above step until ParentID = 0 (storing the title value each time)
When ParentID = 0 we take the value of StructureID, requery where RecordID = 99 and store the title

We end up with "I am a record\I am a folder\I am the top level folder\I am a place in the org chart"

Hi QPR,

Does this help?

with EmployeeList as (
	select
		Boss.EmpID
		, Boss.FirstName
		, Boss.LastName
		, Boss.ManagerID
		, 1 as EmplLevel
		, convert( varchar( 100 ), '' ) as ReportLine
	from #e as Boss
	where
		Boss.ManagerID is null
	
	union all

	select
		Emp.EmpID
		, Emp.FirstName
		, Emp.LastName
		, Emp.ManagerID
		, el.EmplLevel + 1
		, convert( varchar( 100 ), el.ReportLine + el.FirstName + '/' )
	from #e as Emp
	inner join EmployeeList as el
		on el.EmpID = emp.ManagerID
	where
		Emp.ManagerID is not null
	)

select * from EmployeeList
;

Select allOpen in new window

Regards
  David

I think I may have to do some serious reading up on CTEs before I'm able to convert your example/sample to my needs :)
I do appreciate all the effort you've put in though.

Would it be a liberty to ask you to have a go using the sample data shown in the image?
Remembering that a ParentID will always have a value... but when that value is 0 we ignore the ParentID and *instead* requery using the ID in StructureID as opposed to ending

In the case of the sample shown we'd have one string "/" delimited that would be a horizontal version of the vertical values in "title"

David, you are the man!
If you are ever in this neck of the woods I owe you a case of beer!

Excellent answer and beyond the call of duty!

oops 1 tweak required.
ParentID or StructureID are never null. They contain a 0 (int) when they are n/a

So when there is no parent (meaning next level up is structure) then ParentID = 0 and StructureID = n

Vice versa when the next level up is a parent then parentID = n and structureID = 0
The WHERE in the CTE creation says "is null" so I assume I just change these to "= 0"?

But the bit...
inner join RecordList as rl
            on rl.RecordID = isnull( nullif( t.ParentID, 0 ), t.StructureID )
      where
            isnull( nullif( t.ParentID, 0 ), t.StructureID ) is not null
      )


seems trickier as we are testing for null rather than 0 or n