where clause to search values from multiple column in sql server - sql

Question

I have the sql server table with 51 columns like below
id
remarks1
remarks2
.
.
.
remarks50
I need to search if particular string is present in atleast one remarks field like in the example below
id remarks1 remarks2 remarks3 remarks4
1 key nonkey grabaze jjjjj
2 uuu 888 8888 kkk
3 888 key hjhj kjkj
suppose i need to search key which is present in either remarks1,2,3.....or 50
I can have sql like
select id from tbl where remarks1 ='key' or remarks2='key' and so on ..
writing or query upto 50 columns is really unpractical.. do we have any quick method?

Answer 1

You can try using below stored procedure .
CREATE PROCEDURE sp_FindStringInTable #stringToFind VARCHAR(100), #schema sysname, #table sysname
AS
DECLARE #sqlCommand VARCHAR(8000)
DECLARE #where VARCHAR(8000)
DECLARE #columnName sysname
DECLARE #cursor VARCHAR(8000)
BEGIN TRY
SET #sqlCommand = 'SELECT * FROM [' + #schema + '].[' + #table + '] WHERE'
SET #where = ''
SET #cursor = 'DECLARE col_cursor CURSOR FOR SELECT COLUMN_NAME
FROM ' + DB_NAME() + '.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = ''' + #schema + '''
AND TABLE_NAME = ''' + #table + '''
AND DATA_TYPE IN (''char'',''nchar'',''ntext'',''nvarchar'',''text'',''varchar'')'
EXEC (#cursor)
OPEN col_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM col_cursor INTO #columnName
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
IF #where <> ''
SET #where = #where + ' OR'
SET #where = #where + ' [' + #columnName + '] LIKE ''' + #stringToFind + ''''
FETCH NEXT FROM col_cursor INTO #columnName
END
CLOSE col_cursor
DEALLOCATE col_cursor
SET #sqlCommand = #sqlCommand + #where
--PRINT #sqlCommand
EXEC (#sqlCommand)
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
PRINT 'There was an error. Check to make sure object exists.'
IF CURSOR_STATUS('variable', 'col_cursor') <> -3
BEGIN
CLOSE col_cursor
DEALLOCATE col_cursor
END
END CATCH
The stored procedure gets created in the master database so you can use it in any of your databases and it takes three parameters:
stringToFind - this is the string you are looking for. This could be a simple value as 'test' or you can also use the % wildcard such as '%test%', '%test' or 'test%'.
schema - this is the schema owner of the object
table - this is the table name you want to search, the procedure will search all char, nchar, ntext, nvarchar, text and varchar columns in the table
Source

Answer 2

You can use an unpivot to transpose the remarks* columns as rows with a common column name, which you can then filter on. (You'll need to repeat all 51 columns).
Distinct will be needed to eliminate cases where more than one column matches (i.e. to mimic the original or)
SELECT DISTINCT ID, Rmk
FROM
(SELECT ID, Remarks1, Remarks2, Remarks3, Remarks4
FROM Remarks) r
UNPIVOT
(Rmk FOR RmkCol IN (Remarks1, Remarks2, Remarks3, Remarks4))AS unpvt
WHERE rmk = 'key';
Sql Fiddle here
However I would advise you to reconsider normalising this into a 1 to many Remarks table - if your table is large, you will need a large number of indexes on the Remark* columns.

Answer 3

SELECT remarks1, remarks2, remarks3, remarks4 from tabl_name
WHERE CONTAINS (( remarks1, remarks2, remarks3, remarks4),'888') ORDER BY id;