Selecting from a text defined value into varchar

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Selecting from a text defined value into varchar

PeterR-1037872

SSC Veteran

Points: 272
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July 22, 2012 at 10:24 pm

#259684

I am populating a temp table with data drawn from a text defined field in a data table.
I can get the first 8000 characters using : set tm.cntct_notes = convert(varchar(8000), notes.note)
How do I access the next and subsequent blocks of 8000 characters from this notes entry?
Thanks,
Peter

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rhythmk SSCertifiable Points: 7162 More actions · Answer 1

PeterR-1037872 (7/22/2012)
I am populating a temp table with data drawn from a text defined field in a data table.
I can get the first 8000 characters using : set tm.cntct_notes = convert(varchar(8000), notes.note)
How do I access the next and subsequent blocks of 8000 characters from this notes entry?
Thanks,
Peter

Hey Peter,

User SUBSTRING function for both the cases.

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Sean Lange SSC Guru Points: 286562 More actions · Answer 2

If you want/need a more detailed response you will need to provide a more detailed post. Take a look at the first link in my signature about best practices when posting questions. The time you spend will be rewarded with tested, accurate and fast code.

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Lokesh Vij SSChampion Points: 10836 More actions · Answer 3

Try using VARCHAR(MAX) instead for VARCHAR(8000)

For details check this link: http://qa.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic647815-145-1.aspx

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CapnHector SSCoach Points: 16143 More actions · Answer 4

lokeshvij (7/23/2012)
Try using VARCHAR(MAX) instead for VARCHAR(8000)
For details check this link: http://qa.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic647815-145-1.aspx
- Lokesh

The OP may be trying to avoid off page storage of certain parts of data which VARCHAR(MAX) would not accomplish.

now for some quick sample code to partially answer the OP's Question (since there is no sample data or ddl this is as good as i can get)

DECLARE @LongString VARCHAR(MAX)

SET @LongString = (SELECT REPLICATE(CAST('abcdefghijk' AS VARCHAR(MAX)),900))

SELECT SUBSTRING (@LongString,(8000*N) + 1 ,8000)

FROM Tally

WHERE N*8000 < LEN(@LongString)

If you dont know what a tally table is you can read about them here http://qa.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/62867/. The above code uses a 0 based tally table.

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PeterR-1037872 SSC Veteran Points: 272 More actions · Answer 5

Problem solved - Thanks for the advice.

The substring solution worked, but a string length of 8000 would only return 4200, so I ended up using the following:-

settm.cntct_notes1 = substring(notes.note, 1, 4200),

tm.cntct_notes2 = substring(notes.note, 4201, 4200),

tm.cntct_notes3 = substring(notes.note, 8401, 4200)

Thanks again,

Peter

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1000539 More actions · Answer 6

PeterR-1037872 (7/23/2012)
Problem solved - Thanks for the advice.
The substring solution worked, but a string length of 8000 would only return 4200, so I ended up using the following:-
settm.cntct_notes1 = substring(notes.note, 1, 4200),
tm.cntct_notes2 = substring(notes.note, 4201, 4200),
tm.cntct_notes3 = substring(notes.note, 8401, 4200)
Thanks again,
Peter

What are you basing that on. What you see on the display? The display limits how many characters will be returned. Do a LEN() of your substrings and see.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.
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