Convert Rows to Columns SQL - sql

Question

I am trying to convert rows to columns in SQL server. I am trying to convert the value's a product gets while being tested during quality. I have tried the pivot function but having trouble doing so as the same values do get repeated and it can not be easily sorted into rows. The table I am trying to pivot holds ~30K data row's so hoping to find a dynamic solution for this.
The maximum number of new columns is 30 but sometimes a product doesn't get tested as much so it can be less. The new column would be based off my inspection_unit_number field. Is this possible to achieve in SQL
Current data
What I hope to achieve
Current Attempt
SELECT BATCH , characteristic, [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20],[21],[22],[23],[24],[25],[26],[27],[28],[29],[30]
from
(
select inspection_lot ,node_number ,characteristic ,inspector ,inspection_unit_number ,start_date ,measured_value ,original_value ,material_no ,batch
from stg.IQC_Tensile_TF
) d
pivot
(
max(measured_value)
for
INSPECTION_UNIT_NUMBER in ([1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20],[21],[22],[23],[24],[25],[26],[27],[28],[29],[30])
) piv;

Answer 1

You will have to go for a dynamic query, check if this will suit your needs.
I created a common table expression to be able to use distinct and then order by in the stuff function:
DECLARE #QUERY NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE #Columns NVARCHAR(MAX)
WITH cte_unique_inspection_unit_number AS
(
SELECT DISTINCT QUOTENAME('TestResults' + CAST(inspection_unit_number AS VARCHAR)) TestResultsN,
inspection_unit_number
FROM IQC_Tensile_TF
)
SELECT #Columns = STUFF((SELECT ', ' + TestResultsN
FROM cte_unique_inspection_unit_number
ORDER BY inspection_unit_number
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,2,''),
#query = 'SELECT batch, node_number, characteristic, ' + #Columns + ' from
(
select batch,
node_number,
characteristic,
measured_value,
''TestResults'' + CAST(inspection_unit_number AS VARCHAR) TestResultsN
from IQC_Tensile_TF
) x
pivot
(
max(measured_value)
for TestResultsN in (' + #Columns + ')
) p '
EXEC(#query)
To view the execution in fiddle:
https://dbfiddle.uk/?rdbms=sqlserver_2014&fiddle=7898422e4422faacb25d7f3c2285f14a
If you find my answer useful, i would appreciate if you vote up and mark as accepted =D