T sql - How to store results from a dynamic query using EXEC or EXECUTE sp_executesql - sql

Question

I am trying to write a dynamic query. Let's say i have a table like below, which represents the hierarchy level of a sales agent:
AgentNumber Level1Agent Level2Agent Level3Agent Level4Agent Level5Agent
1122334455 1122334499 1122334488 1122334477 1122334466 1122334455
I want to be able to dynamically select a level based on a specified agent. My EXECUTE statement seems to work correctly, but how do I get the result stored in a variable I can use later? Every answer I have found seems to only get me a success return variable, not the actual query result.
Below is my code:
DECLARE #level INT = 1;
DECLARE #agent CHAR(10) = 1122334455;
DECLARE #colname NVARCHAR(11) = CONCAT('Level',#level,'Agent');
DECLARE #whereclause NVARCHAR(35) = CONCAT('WHERE AgentNumber = ',#agent);
DECLARE #qry NVARCHAR(300) = 'SELECT ' + #colname + ' FROM dbo.TABLE ' + #whereclause;
DECLARE #up NVARCHAR(10);
EXECUTE sp_executesql #qry, #up OUT
SELECT #up
The output of #up is NULL. If I change the last two lines to:
EXECUTE #up = sp_executesql #qry
SELECT #up
Now the output of #up is 0.
I want the output of 1122334499 and I need it stored in a variable that can later be used and inserted into a table.

Answer 1

Here is a fully functional example of how you can do this. Notice this is using a parameterized where clause and quotename around the column name in the dynamic sql to prevent sql injection.
if OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#Agents') is not null
drop table #Agents
create table #Agents
(
AgentNumber char(10)
, Level1Agent char(10)
, Level2Agent char(10)
, Level3Agent char(10)
, Level4Agent char(10)
, Level5Agent char(10)
)
insert #Agents
select '1122334455', '1122334499', '1122334488', '1122334477', '1122334466', '1122334455'
DECLARE #level INT = 3;
DECLARE #agent CHAR(10) = 1122334455;
DECLARE #colname NVARCHAR(11) = CONCAT('Level',#level,'Agent');
declare #agentout char(10)
DECLARE #qry NVARCHAR(300) = 'SELECT #agent_out = ' + quotename(#colname) + ' FROM #Agents WHERE AgentNumber = #agentin';
EXECUTE sp_executesql #qry, N'#agentin char(10), #agent_out char(10) output', #agentin = #agent, #agent_out = #agentout output
select #agentout

Answer 2

You can try this :
DECLARE #level INT = 1;
DECLARE #agent CHAR(10) = 1122334455;
DECLARE #colname NVARCHAR(11) = CONCAT('Level',#level,'Agent');
DECLARE #whereclause NVARCHAR(35) = CONCAT('WHERE AgentNumber = ',#agent);
DECLARE #qry NVARCHAR(300) = 'SELECT #agentout=' + #colname + ' FROM dbo.TABLE ' + #whereclause;
DECLARE #up NVARCHAR(10);
EXECUTE sp_executesql #qry, N'#agentout NVARCHAR(10) OUTPUT', #agentout=#up OUTPUT
SELECT #up

Answer 3

Create a variable table and makes your query insert the results you want there. Something like this:
declare #results table(field1 varchar(max), field2 varchar(max));
declare #sqlStatement varchar(max);
set #sqlStatement = 'insert into #results(field1, field2) select field1, field2 from table';
EXECUTE #sqlStatement;
select * from #results; --It will print the results from your sql statement!