Searching for data in all existing tables of a database - sql

Question

I want to search for the date '2017-08-08 09:26' in all existing tables of a database and get the column name and table name of the table that contains that date. So I can find that date in table A in column a.
example: '2017-08-08 09:26' exists in column 'a' of table 'A'
Please give me some suggestions for a solution.
Right now I am using this query in which I can search for columns, but I want to search the data in the columns of the tables in my database.
SELECT
sys.columns.name AS ColumnName,
sys.tables.name AS TableName
FROM
sys.columns
JOIN
sys.tables
ON
sys.columns.object_id = sys.tables.object_id
WHERE
sys.columns.name LIKE '%service%'

Answer 1

You need some good old-fashion dynamic SQL for this:
DECLARE #Sql varchar(max);
SELECT #Sql = STUFF((SELECT 'UNION ALL ' + CHAR(10) +'SELECT '''+
sys.columns.name +''' AS ColumnName, '''+
sys.tables.name +''' AS TableName '+ CHAR(10) +
'FROM sys.tables.name ' + CHAR(10) +
'WHERE '+ QUOTENAME(sys.columns.name) +' = #DateTimeValue ' + CHAR(10)
FROM
sys.columns
JOIN
sys.tables
ON
sys.columns.object_id = sys.tables.object_id
-- type ids: datetime2, smalldatetime, datetime
WHERE sys.columns.system_type_id IN(42, 58, 61)
FOR XML PATH('')
), 1, 11, 'DECLARE #DateTimeValue datetime = ''2017-08-08T09:26:00'';' + CHAR(10))
-- When using dynamic SQL, PRINT is your best friend.
PRINT #Sql
/*
#Sql should contain something like this:
DECLARE #DateTimeValue datetime = '2017-08-08T09:26:00';
SELECT 'Col1' AS ColumnName, 'Table1' AS TableName
FROM sys.tables.name
WHERE [Col1] = #DateTimeValue
UNION ALL
SELECT 'Col2' AS ColumnName, 'Table12' AS TableName
FROM sys.tables.name
WHERE [Col2] = #DateTimeValue
...
*/
-- Unremark only after you've seen what's inside #Sql.
--EXEC(#Sql)

Answer 2

Use the below script for getting entire DB search
DECLARE
#SearchStr nvarchar(100) = 'Pass'
BEGIN
DECLARE #Results TABLE(ColumnName nvarchar(370), ColumnValue nvarchar(3630))
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE #TableName nvarchar(256), #ColumnName nvarchar(128), #SearchStr2 varchar(110)
SET #TableName = ''
SET #SearchStr2 = QUOTENAME('%' + #SearchStr + '%','''')
WHILE #TableName IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
SET #ColumnName = ''
SET #TableName =
(
SELECT MIN(QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME))
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'
AND QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME) > #TableName
AND OBJECTPROPERTY(
OBJECT_ID(
QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME)
), 'IsMSShipped'
) = 0
)
WHILE (#TableName IS NOT NULL) AND (#ColumnName IS NOT NULL)
BEGIN
SET #ColumnName =
(
SELECT MIN(QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME))
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = PARSENAME(#TableName, 2)
AND TABLE_NAME = PARSENAME(#TableName, 1)
AND DATA_TYPE IN ('char', 'varchar', 'nchar', 'nvarchar')
AND QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME) > #ColumnName
)
IF #ColumnName IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #Results
EXEC
(
'SELECT ''' + #TableName + '.' + #ColumnName + ''', LEFT(' + #ColumnName + ', 3630)
FROM ' + #TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
' WHERE ' + #ColumnName + ' LIKE ' + #SearchStr2
)
END
END
END
SELECT ColumnName, ColumnValue FROM #Results
END