concat column names with string inside a string - sql

Question

I am trying to create a pretty column to display but I cannot get a space or hyphen to work. I want the column to display like
Jun-2014 or Jun 2014 but I get errors when I try to insert it the normal way due to the query already being inside a string.
Here is the part I am having trouble with:
(LEFT(DATENAME(month, leadtime),3) + " " + CONVERT(varchar, DATEPART(year, leadtime))) as leadmonth
And here is the rest of the query for context:
set #query = 'SELECT name AS "Lead Source",' + #cols + '
from
(
SELECT d.name, COUNT(u.lead_source_id) AS totalLeads, + "["+ (LEFT(DATENAME(month, leadtime),3) + " " + CONVERT(varchar, DATEPART(year, leadtime)))+"] as leadmonth" +
FROM DI_TrackingDB.dbo.userleads u
INNER JOIN GSPremiumServices.dbo.supplier_product_lead_source_def d ON d.lead_source_id = u.lead_source_id
WHERE vend_id = 355135
AND u.lead_source_id IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY u.lead_source_id, d.name, DATENAME(month, leadtime), DATEPART(year, leadtime), Convert(varchar(7), leadtime, 126)
) x
pivot
(
max(totalLeads)
for leadmonth in (' + #cols + ')
) p '
Please keep in mind I am setting #query so I am already inside of a string.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

Answer 1

The answer was quite simple. Not sure if people didn't quite understand my initial question but the answer was to use two ' on either side of the inner string. Below is the final version of the code that works.
DECLARE #cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
#query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT #cols = STUFF((SELECT ',' + QUOTENAME(monthyear)
FROM (SELECT DISTINCT (LEFT(DATENAME(MONTH, month_start),3)+ '-' + CONVERT(VARCHAR, DATEPART(YEAR, month_start))) AS monthyear, month_start
FROM dbo.mo_vendor_month WITH(NOLOCK)
WHERE vend_id = #arguments.prospectId#
AND month_start >= '#startDate#'
)alertsMonths
ORDER BY month_start ASC
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
SET #query = 'SELECT ' + #cols + '
FROM
(
SELECT total_unique_leads,(LEFT(DATENAME(MONTH, month_start),3)+ ''-'' + CONVERT(VARCHAR, DATEPART(YEAR, month_start))) AS monthyear
FROM dbo.mo_vendor_month
WHERE vend_id = #arguments.prospectId#
AND month_start >= ''#startDate#''
GROUP BY month_start, total_unique_leads
) x
pivot
(
max(total_unique_leads)
FOR monthyear IN (' + #cols + ')
) p '
EXECUTE(#query)

Answer 2

Just put square brackets around the field name you're constructing, like this:
"[" + (LEFT(DATENAME(month, leadtime),3) + " " + CONVERT(varchar, DATEPART(year, leadtime))) + "] as leadmonth"
I would also be ready to handle any single quotes or double quotes that might occur (by escaping them as needed when building your string). Other than that, enclosing a field name in square brackets allows you to use characters that normally would not be allowed in an identifier's name.