Search all databases for value - sql

Question

Consider have a table like named : People
| Id | Name | Code |
| 1 | John | 857 |
| 2 | Mike | 893 |
| 3 | Sara | 935 |
This table is in PeopleDb Database
Now I want to find 'Mike' keyword. Situation :
I don't know to search in which database, tables.
I need a query that searches in all databases and tables and shows me this :
| Id | DatabaseName | TableName | ColumnName | Pk | SearchValue
| 1 | 'PeopleDb' | 'People' | 'Name' | 2 | 'Mike'
I don't know how to write the query to search in all databases and tables.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Edit :
Speed is not an issue here and I need to do this.
I tried this query, I want the same but that searches all databases.
CREATE PROC SearchAllTables
(
#SearchStr nvarchar(100)
)
AS
BEGIN
-- Copyright © 2002 Narayana Vyas Kondreddi.All rights reserved.
-- Purpose: To search all columns of all tables for a given search string
-- Written by: Narayana Vyas Kondreddi
-- Site: http://vyaskn.tripod.com
-- Tested on: SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000
-- Date modified: 28th July 2002 22:50 GMT
DECLARE #Results TABLE(ColumnName nvarchar(370), ColumnValue nvarchar(3630))
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE #TableName nvarchar(256), #ColumnName nvarchar(128), #SearchStr2 nvarchar(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
Update :
I need a working T-Sql that searches all databases, tables, columns, all type of variables.
Current answers will not work in some situations like Connection String in nvarchar field.

Answer 1

I have updated your Logic as per below and it works fine, please have a look:
DECLARE #SearchStr VARCHAR(50)='Surat'
DECLARE #Results TABLE(DatabaseName NVARCHAR(500), TableName nvarchar(370),ColumnName nvarchar(370), ColumnValue nvarchar(3630),PrimaryKey nvarchar(200), PrimaryKeyValue nvarchar(4000))
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE #TableList AS Table
(
TableName VARCHAR(500),
RowNo INT
)
DECLARE #ColumnList AS Table
(
ColumnName VARCHAR(500),
RowNo INT
)
DECLARE #PrimaryKeyList AS Table
(
PrimaryKeyName VARCHAR(500)
)
DECLARE #TableName nvarchar(256), #ColumnName nvarchar(128), #SearchStr2 nvarchar(110), #PrimaryKey nvarchar(200), #CurrentTableName nvarchar(256)
SET #TableName = ''
SET #SearchStr2 = QUOTENAME('%' + #SearchStr + '%', '''')
DECLARE #DatabaseCount INT=0, #Index INT=0, #DatabaseName NVARCHAR(500), #TotalColumnCount INT, #ColumnIndex INT=0, #TotalTableCount INT, #TableIndex INT=0
SELECT
*,
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY name) AS RowNo
INTO #tblDatabases
FROM Sys.Databases
WHERE name NOT IN ('master','model','msdb','tempdb')
SELECT #DatabaseCount=COUNT (*) FROM #tblDatabases
WHILE #Index<#DatabaseCount
BEGIN
SET #Index=#Index+1
SELECT #DatabaseName='',#TableIndex=0,#ColumnIndex=0,#TableName='',#ColumnName=''
SELECT #DatabaseName=name FROM #tblDatabases WHERE RowNo=#Index
DELETE FROM #TableList
INSERT INTO #TableList
EXEC('
SELECT QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + ''.'' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME),
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY TABLE_NAME)
FROM ['+#DatabaseName+'].INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = ''BASE TABLE''
')
SELECT #TotalTableCount=COUNT(*) FROM #TableList
WHILE #TableIndex<#TotalTableCount
BEGIN
SET #TableIndex=#TableIndex+1
SELECT #ColumnName = '',#ColumnIndex=0
SELECT #TableName=TableName FROM #TableList WHERE RowNo=#TableIndex
SET #CurrentTableName=REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(#TableName,'[dbo].',''),'[',''),']','')
DELETE FROM #ColumnList
INSERT INTO #ColumnList
EXEC('SELECT
COLUMN_NAME,ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY COLUMN_NAME)
FROM ['+#DatabaseName+'].INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = PARSENAME('''+#TableName+''', 2)
AND TABLE_NAME = PARSENAME('''+#TableName+''', 1)
AND DATA_TYPE IN (''char'', ''varchar'', ''nchar'', ''nvarchar'')
')
SELECT #TotalColumnCount=COUNT(*) FROM #ColumnList
WHILE #ColumnIndex<#TotalColumnCount
BEGIN
SET #ColumnIndex=#ColumnIndex+1
SET #ColumnName=''
SELECT #ColumnName=ColumnName FROM #ColumnList WHERE RowNo=#ColumnIndex
DELETE FROM #PrimaryKeyList
INSERT INTO #PrimaryKeyList
EXEC('
SELECT Col.Column_Name from
['+#DatabaseName+'].INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS Tab,
['+#DatabaseName+'].INFORMATION_SCHEMA.CONSTRAINT_COLUMN_USAGE Col
WHERE
Col.Constraint_Name = Tab.Constraint_Name
AND Col.Table_Name = Tab.Table_Name
AND Constraint_Type = ''PRIMARY KEY''
AND Col.Table_Name= '''+#CurrentTableName+'''
')
SELECT #PrimaryKey=''
SELECT #PrimaryKey=PrimaryKeyName FROM #PrimaryKeyList
SET #PrimaryKey=ISNULL(#PrimaryKey,'')
IF #ColumnName IS NOT NULL AND #PrimaryKey<>''
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #Results
EXEC
(
'SELECT '''+#DatabaseName+''','''+#CurrentTableName+''',''' + #ColumnName + ''', LEFT(' + #ColumnName + ', 3630) , '''+#PrimaryKey+''', [' + #PrimaryKey + ']
FROM ['+#DatabaseName+'].' + #TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
' WHERE ' + #ColumnName + ' LIKE ' + #SearchStr2
)
END
END
END
END
SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY DatabaseName) AS Id,DatabaseName,TableName,ColumnName, ColumnValue AS SearchValue,PrimaryKeyValue AS Pk, PrimaryKey FROM #Results
DROP TABLE #tblDatabases

Answer 2

SELECT * FROM all_objects where object_name = 'XXXX';

Answer 3

you can use this Store Procedure
CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.SearchAllDatabases
#SearchTerm NVARCHAR(255) = NULL
AS
BEGIN
SET NOCOUNT ON;
SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ UNCOMMITTED;
IF #SearchTerm IS NULL OR #SearchTerm NOT LIKE N'%[^%^_]%'
BEGIN
RAISERROR(N'Please enter a valid search term.', 11, 1);
RETURN;
END
CREATE TABLE #results
(
[database] SYSNAME,
[schema] SYSNAME,
[table] SYSNAME,
[column] SYSNAME,
ExampleValue NVARCHAR(1000)
);
DECLARE
#DatabaseCommands NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'',
#ColumnCommands NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'';
SELECT #DatabaseCommands = #DatabaseCommands + N'
EXEC ' + QUOTENAME(name) + '.sys.sp_executesql
#ColumnCommands, N''#SearchTerm NVARCHAR(MAX)'', #SearchTerm;'
FROM sys.databases
WHERE database_id > 4 -- non-system databases
AND [state] = 0 -- online
AND user_access = 0; -- multi-user
SET #ColumnCommands = N'DECLARE #q NCHAR(1),
#SearchCommands NVARCHAR(MAX);
SELECT #q = NCHAR(39),
#SearchCommands = N''DECLARE #VSearchTerm VARCHAR(255) = #SearchTerm;'';
SELECT #SearchCommands = #SearchCommands + CHAR(10) + N''
SELECT TOP (1)
[db] = DB_NAME(),
[schema] = N'' + #q + s.name + #q + '',
[table] = N'' + #q + t.name + #q + '',
[column] = N'' + #q + c.name + #q + '',
ExampleValue = LEFT('' + QUOTENAME(c.name) + '', 1000)
FROM '' + QUOTENAME(s.name) + ''.'' + QUOTENAME(t.name) + ''
WHERE '' + QUOTENAME(c.name) + N'' LIKE #'' + CASE
WHEN c.system_type_id IN (35, 167, 175) THEN ''V''
ELSE '''' END + ''SearchTerm;''
FROM sys.schemas AS s
INNER JOIN sys.tables AS t
ON s.[schema_id] = t.[schema_id]
INNER JOIN sys.columns AS c
ON t.[object_id] = c.[object_id]
WHERE c.system_type_id IN (35, 99, 167, 175, 231, 239)
AND c.max_length >= LEN(#SearchTerm);
PRINT #SearchCommands;
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #SearchCommands,
N''#SearchTerm NVARCHAR(255)'', #SearchTerm;';
INSERT #Results
(
[database],
[schema],
[table],
[column],
ExampleValue
)
EXEC [master].sys.sp_executesql #DatabaseCommands,
N'#ColumnCommands NVARCHAR(MAX), #SearchTerm NVARCHAR(255)',
#ColumnCommands, #SearchTerm;
SELECT [Searched for] = #SearchTerm;
SELECT [database],[schema],[table],[column],ExampleValue
FROM #Results
ORDER BY [database],[schema],[table],[column];
END
GO

Answer 4

This seems like a crazy thing to do - the search could completely kill your server. That said, if this is a one-off/occasional use manual run kind of thing then you can create a script to generate the SQL commands you need and then execute the result sets. I've done this sort of thing before to refactor columns in a database.
Your script would need to first run a query to get the names of all the DBs on your sql-server instance
SELECT * FROM sys.databases
Then create dynamic sql including the USE command to specify the DB and use the information_schema.tables and .columns to get the names of all the tables and columns you want to search - up to you how you decided to select the columns to be searched (is it just columns like N'%name%' for example.
Then use this information in a for loop to create individual table/column searches. For efficiency (and to help you debug if it's not working) I suggest utilise #table variables.
Finally select the contents of any #tables holding the table queries you've created.
This output can then be run on the server - providing you've included the use commands or prefixed table names with [dbname].[schema].