SQL Server Dynamic pivot for an unknow number of columns - sql

Question

The question has been asked before, but in a slightly different scenario (one that doesn't seem to fit to my question) so..
I have data that looks like this
Name |Item |Note
George|Paperclip |Two boxes
George|Stapler |blue one
George|Stapler |red one
George|Desk lamp |No light bulb
Mark |Paperclip |One box 2"
Mark |Paperclip |One box 4"
Mark |Block Notes|a blue one
..? |..? |..?
And I would want to pivot by name, to obtain
Name |Paperclip|Stapler|Desk Lamp|Block Notes
George| 1| 2| 1| NULL
Mark | 2| NULL | NULL | 1
I've follower the examples like
Convert Rows to columns using 'Pivot' in SQL Server
but I'm far from a solution.. can someone please give me an hand?
Thanks!
edit: the actual code
drop table #temp2
SELECT DISTINCT *,
CASE WHEN Item IS NULL THEN NULL ELSE COUNT(Item) OVER(PARTITION BY Name) END CNT
INTO #TEMP2
FROM [ISPBIGFIX].[dbo].[C_INV_ErroriTavolette_v11]
DECLARE #cols NVARCHAR (MAX)
DECLARE #Columns2 NVARCHAR (MAX)
SET #cols = SUBSTRING((SELECT DISTINCT ',['+Item+']' FROM #TEMP2 GROUP BY Item FOR XML PATH('')),2,8000)
SET #Columns2 = SUBSTRING((SELECT DISTINCT ',ISNULL(['+Item+'],0) AS ['+Item+']' FROM #TEMP2 GROUP BY Item FOR XML PATH('')),2,8000)
DECLARE #query NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET #query = 'SELECT Name,' + #Columns2 + ' FROM
(
SELECT Name,ErrorType,CNT FROM #TEMP2
) x
PIVOT
(
SUM(CNT)
FOR [Item] IN (' + #cols + ')
) p
WHERE Name IS NOT NULL;'
EXEC SP_EXECUTESQL #query

Answer 1

Try this, It follows the same example mentioned here:Convert Rows to columns using 'Pivot' in SQL Server
--Drop Sample temp Table
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#temp2') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #temp2
END
--create Sample temp Table
create Table #temp2
(
[name] varchar(255),
Item varchar(255),
note varchar(255)
)
--Insert Sample Data
insert into #temp2
values( 'George','Paperclip','Two boxes'),
('George','Stapler','blue one'),
('George','Stapler','red one'),
('George','Desk lamp','No light bulb'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 2'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 4'),
('Mark','Block Notes','a blue one')
DECLARE #cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX), #cols2 AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
#query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
--Generate Columns from Data
--Generate Columns from Data
select #cols = STUFF((SELECT ', isnull(' + QUOTENAME(Item) + ',0) as' + QUOTENAME(Item)
from #temp2
group by Item
order by Item
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
select #cols2 = STUFF((SELECT ', ' + QUOTENAME(Item)
from #temp2
group by Item
order by Item
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
--Pivot Query
set #query = 'SELECT [name],' + #cols + ' from
(
select [Name], Item, count(*) as xcount
from #temp2
group by Name, Item
) x
pivot
(
sum(xCount)
for Item in (' + #cols2+ ')
) p '
execute(#query);
--Drop Sample Temp Table
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#temp2') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #temp2
END

Answer 2

Try This Dynamic Sql
IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.TT')IS NOT NULL
DROP TABLE TT
;WITH CTE(Name ,Item ,Note)
AS
(
SELECT 'George','Paperclip' ,'Two boxes' UNION ALL
SELECT 'George','Stapler' ,'blue one' UNION ALL
SELECT 'George','Stapler' ,'red one' UNION ALL
SELECT 'George','Desk lamp' ,'No light bulb' UNION ALL
SELECT 'Mark' ,'Paperclip' ,'One box 2' UNION ALL
SELECT 'Mark' ,'Paperclip' ,'One box 4' UNION ALL
SELECT 'Mark' ,'Block Notes','a blue one'
)
SELECT *,CASE WHEN Item IS NOT NULL THEN 1 ELSE 0 END AS Item2 INTO TT FROM CTE
SELECT * FROM TT
DECLARE #Sql nvarchar(max),
#Sqlcol nvarchar(max),
#ISNULLSqlcol nvarchar(max)
SELECT #Sqlcol=STUFF((SELECT DISTINCT ', '+QUOTENAME(Item)
FROM TT FOR XML PATH ('')),1,1,'')
SELECT #ISNULLSqlcol=STUFF((SELECT DISTINCT ', '+'ISNULL(SUM('+QUOTENAME(Item) +'),''0'') AS '+QUOTENAME(Item)
FROM TT FOR XML PATH ('')),1,1,'')
SET #Sql='SELECT Name,'+#ISNULLSqlcol+'FROM
(
SELECT * FROM TT
) AS SRc
PIVOT
(
SUM(Item2) FOR Item IN('+#Sqlcol+')
) AS Pvt GROUP BY Name'
Print #Sql
EXEC (#Sql)

Answer 3

Try this query (I think its much more clearly). I use the code of Kashif Qureshi to create a temporary table, but my code is different in PIVOT part
--Drop Sample temp Table
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#temp2') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #temp2
END
--create Sample temp Table
create Table #temp2
(
[name] varchar(255),
Item varchar(255),
note varchar(255)
)
--Insert Sample Data
insert into #temp2
values( 'George','Paperclip','Two boxes'),
('George','Stapler','blue one'),
('George','Stapler','red one'),
('George','Desk lamp','No light bulb'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 2'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 4'),
('Mark','Block Notes','a blue one')
--- PIVOT
DECLARE #v_query VARCHAR(8000) -- main query
DECLARE #v_columns VARCHAR(8000) -- columns
SET #v_columns =''
-- Get string columns
SELECT #v_columns += '[' + CONVERT(VARCHAR, Item) +'],' FROM (SELECT DISTINCT Item FROM #temp2) AS temp
-- Delete the last comma
SET #v_columns = LEFT(#v_columns,LEN(#v_columns)-1)
-- Main query
SET #v_query = 'SELECT Name, ' + #v_columns +' FROM
(
SELECT Name, Item FROM #temp2
) T
PIVOT
(
Count(Item)
FOR Item IN ('+ #v_columns +')
) PVT'
EXEC (#v_query)
-- DROP
IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#temp2') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #temp2
END

Answer 4

The answer by Kashif works. Here is a version that leverages STRING_AGG
--Drop Sample temp Table
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #temp2
--Create Sample temp Table
CREATE Table #temp2 (
[name] varchar(255),
Item varchar(255),
note varchar(255)
)
--Insert Sample Data
INSERT INTO #temp2
VALUES ( 'George','Paperclip','Two boxes'),
('George','Stapler','blue one'),
('George','Stapler','red one'),
('George','Desk lamp','No light bulb'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 2'),
('Mark','Paperclip','One box 4'),
('Mark','Block Notes','a blue one')
DECLARE #cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX), #cols2 AS NVARCHAR(MAX), #query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
--Generate Columns from Data
SET #cols = (SELECT STRING_AGG (' isnull(' + QUOTENAME(Item) + ',0) as' + QUOTENAME(Item), ',') as colR
FROM (SELECT ITEM FROM (SELECT ITEM FROM #temp2 GROUP BY ITEM) x GROUP BY ITEM) Y )
SET #cols2 = (SELECT STRING_AGG (QUOTENAME(Item), ',') as colR
FROM (SELECT ITEM FROM (SELECT ITEM FROM #temp2 GROUP BY ITEM) x GROUP BY ITEM) Y )
SET #query = 'SELECT [name],' + #cols + '
FROM (
SELECT [Name], Item, COUNT(*) as xcount
FROM #temp2
GROUP BY Name, Item
) x
PIVOT (
SUM(xCount)
FOR Item IN (' + #cols2+ ')
) p '
EXECUTE (#query);
--Drop Sample Temp Table
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #temp2