Need to build a query with column names stored in another table - sql

Question

I have a table as shown below. This table will be generated dynamically and I have no prior idea about what value it is going to hold.
------------------------------------------
TABLE_NAME COLUMN_NAME CHAR_LENGTH
------------------------------------------
EMPLOYEE COL1 100
EMPLOYEE COL2 200
EMPLOYEE COL3 300
EMPLOYEE COL4 400
Based on this table, I want to build a query in such a way that it would give me those columns, that contains data having char length greater than CHAR_LENGTH column value.
For example if COL2 contains data having char length 500 (>200), then query would give me COL2.
I don't have any draft code to show my attempt, as I have no idea how would I do this.

Answer 1

I don't think this is possible in pure SQL due to the dynamic nature of your requirement. You'll need some form of PL/SQL.
Assuming you're ok with simply outputting the desired results, here is a PL/SQL block that will get the job done:
declare
wExists number(1);
begin
for rec in (select * from your_dynamic_table)
loop
execute immediate 'select count(*)
from dual
where exists (select null
from ' || rec.table_name || ' t
where length(t.' || rec.column_name || ') > ' || rec.char_length || ')'
into wExists;
if wExists = 1 then
dbms_output.put_line(rec.column_name);
end if;
end loop;
end;
You'll also notice the use of the exists clause to optimize the query, so as not to iterate over the whole table unnecessarily, when possible.
Alternatively, if you want the results to be queryable, you can consider converting the code to a pipelined function.

Answer 2

select column_name
from (
select statement that builds the table output
) A
where char_length<length(column_name)
will that help?

Answer 3

You would need a procedure to achieve the same :
Here I am treating the all_tab_columns table in Oracle, which is a default table with much similar structure as your reference example.(Try select * from all_tab_columns). The structure of all_tab_columns is much like yours, except that you will never find a varchar record whose value has exceeded its data length(obvious database level constraint). Date fields may exceed data length, and do reflect in this procedure's output. I am searching all columns in EMPLOYEES whose size exceeds what is specified.
DECLARE
cursor c is select column_name,data_length,table_name from all_tab_columns where table_name=:Table_name;
V_INDEX_NAME all_tab_columns.column_name%type;
v_data_length all_tab_columns.data_length%type;
V_NUMBER PLS_INTEGER;
v_table_name all_tab_columns.table_name%type;
BEGIN
open c;
LOOP
FETCH c into v_index_name,v_data_length,v_table_name;
EXIT when c%NOTFOUND;
v_number :=0;
execute immediate 'select count(*) from '|| :Table_name ||' where length('||v_index_name||')>'||v_data_length into v_number;
if v_number>1 then
dbms_output.put_line(v_index_name||' has values greater than specified'||' '||V_INDEX_NAME||' '||v_data_length);
end if;
END LOOP;
close c;
END;
/
Replace all_tab_columns and its respective columns with the column name of your table.
DEFECTS : The table name is hardcoded. Trying to make the code generic execute immediate or any other trick. Will achieve soon.
EDIT : Defect fixed.