Is Pivot my best option? How-To - sql

Question

I have the following table relationships
Location.DeptFK
Dept.PK
Section.DeptFK
Subsection.SectionFK
Question.SubsectionFK
Answer.QuestionFK, SubmissionFK
Submission.PK, LocationFK
one query returns (MainTable)
QuestionNumberVar | Section | Subsection | Question | AnsYes | AnsNo | NA
1-1.1 Math Algebra Did you do your homework? 10 1 1
1-1.2 Math Algebra Did your dog eat it? 9 3 0
2-1.1 English Greek Did you do your homework? 8 0 4
The other returns (Query2)
Answer | Location | QuestionNumberVar | Critical
1 High 1-1.1 1
2 Middle 1-1.1 1
2 High 1-1.2 0
1 Middle 1-1.2 0
0 High 2-1.1 1
1 Elem 2-1.1 1
I want the (Query2) to return (IndividualTable)
QuestionNumberVar | Critical | High | Middle | Ele
1-1.1 1 1 2 'blank'
1-1.2 0 2 1 'blank'
2-1.1 1 0 'blank' 1
I then want to merge it on the end of the previous table using QuestionNumberVar as a key of sorts. so the table will look like
QuestionNumberVar | MainTable | IndividualTable
1-1.1 Data Data
1-1.2 Data Data
2-1.1 Data Data
Where the answers are grouped by QuestionNumberVar. The MainTable is not dynamic but the other IndividualTable needs to be dynamic. Location doesn't always appear for certain Dept's as seen at the relationships.
These Queries work for gathering the required Data but I don't know how to convert them to modify my tables how I would like. I think Pivot is what should be used for Query 2 to make IndividualTable I am also not sure how to mesh IndividualTable with MainTable
MainTable Query
SELECT Section.StepNumber + '-' + Question.QuestionNumber AS QuestionNumberVar,
Question.Question,
Subsection.Name AS Subsection,
Section.Name AS Section,
SUM(CASE WHEN (Answer.Answer = 0) THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS NA,
SUM(CASE WHEN (Answer.Answer = 1) THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS AnsNo,
SUM(CASE WHEN (Answer.Answer = 2) THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS AnsYes,
(select count(distinct Location.Abbreviation) from Department inner join Plant on location.DepartmentFK = Department.PK WHERE(Department.Name = 'insertParameter'))
as total
FROM Department inner join
section on Department.PK = section.DepartmentFK inner JOIN
subsection on Subsection.SectionFK = Section.PK INNER JOIN
question on Question.SubsectionFK = Subsection.PK INNER JOIN
Answer on Answer.QuestionFK = question.PK inner JOIN
Submission on Submission.PK = Answer.SubmissionFK inner join
Location on Location.DepartmentFK = Department.PK AND Location.pk = Submission.PlantFK
WHERE (Department.Name = 'InsertParameter') AND (Submission.MonthTested = '1/1/2017')
GROUP BY Question.Question, QuestionNumberVar, Subsection.Name, Section.Name, Section.StepNumber
ORDER BY QuestionNumberVar;
Query 2
SELECT Answer.Answer, Location.abbreviation, Section.StepNumber + '-' + Question.QuestionNumber AS QuestionNumber, Cast(Question.CriticalProcessVariable AS VARCHAR) AS CriticalProcessVariable
FROM Department left join
Section on Department.PK = Section.DepartmentFK left JOIN
Subsection on Subsection.SectionFK = Section.PK left JOIN
Question on Question.SubsectionFK = Subsection.PK left JOIN
Answer on Answer.QuestionFK = Question.PK left JOIN
Submission on Submission.PK = SubmissionFK left join
Location on Location.DepartmentFK = Department.PK AND Location.pk = Submission.PlantFK
WHERE (Department.Name = 'insertParameter') AND (Submission.MonthTested = '01/01/2017')
ORDER BY CAST(Section.StepNumber as INT) ASC, Question.QuestionNumber;
I have attempted to Pivot Query 2 to no avail. My problem always arises over not being able to sum by Answer because it doesn't recognize it (probably from not being in Location?) I am kind of lost as this is the most complex query I have ever made and I can't wrap my head around the requirements for Pivot and how to properly apply it.

Answer 1

Pivot was the way I handled this eventually working my way through error after error. T/SQL threw a few wrenches in my way. I first Pivoted Query 2
select #cols = STUFF((SELECT distinct ',' + QUOTENAME(PivotQ.Abbreviation)
from ( --QUERY2
) PivotQ
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
set #query = 'SELECT StepNumber + ''-'' + QuestionNum as QuestionNumber, '+#cols+' from
(
--Query2
) x
pivot
(
SUM(Answer)
for Abbreviation in (' + #cols + ')
) p
'
Then I used QuestionNumber as a Key to join to MainTable's QuestionNumber. I used a second #cols to make the columns for use in the second query
select #cols2 = STUFF((SELECT distinct ', PivotJoin.' + QUOTENAME(PivotQ.Abbreviation)
from ( --QUERY2
) PivotQ
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
'+ #cols2 +' --added into Select of MainTable
-- Added to From Statement
inner join
('+ #query +') PivotJoin on PivotJoin.QuestionNumber = Section.StepNumber + ''-'' + Question.QuestionNumber
I had to make The Pivot's Question Number the main because now that its T/SQL instead of pure SQL using the Alias in Group By no longer worked. I then added #cols2 to the Group By clause. and made it Order By PivotJoin.QuestionNumber instead.