Search for ampersand (&) when using containstable in MS SQL Server - sql

Question

I'm using a stored procedure on a autocomplete dropdownlist to retreive a list of clients. Some of the clients have an '&' (ampersand) sign in the name e.g. 'H&M', 'Marks & Spencers' and users would like to search on the '&' sign.
When i directly use the & sign it uses it as a word breaker and does not pick the list which has '&' sign.
Is there any way i could search the table using the '&' and retreive values that have '&' sign.
Hope i've made sence explaining what i need to do.
Thanks for all your help!

Answer 1

Perhaps something like:
WHERE column LIKE REPLACE(#searchvalue, '&', '/&') ESCAPE '/'
Another idea:
DECLARE #randomstring #text
SET #randomstring ='randomstringthatwillneverbeusedforsearch'
WHERE REPLACE(column, #searchvalue, #randomstring) LIKE '%'+#randomstring+'%'
No idea about performance issues though.

Answer 2

Try this one -
DECLARE #char CHAR(1)
SELECT #char = '&'
DECLARE #sql NVARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT #sql = (
SELECT CHAR(13) +
'IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM ' +
QUOTENAME(s.name) + '.' + QUOTENAME(o.name) +
' WHERE' + b.cols + ')
SELECT table_name = ''[' + s.name + '].[' + o.name + ']'' ' + c.cols +' FROM ' +
QUOTENAME(s.name) + '.' + QUOTENAME(o.name) +
' WHERE' + b.cols + ';'
FROM sys.objects o
JOIN sys.schemas s ON o.[schema_id] = s.[schema_id]
JOIN (
SELECT DISTINCT p.[object_id]
FROM sys.partitions p
WHERE p.[rows] > 0
) p ON p.[object_id] = o.[object_id]
OUTER APPLY (
SELECT cols = STUFF((
SELECT 'OR CHARINDEX(''' + #char + ''', ' + QUOTENAME(c.name) + ') > 0 '
FROM sys.columns c
JOIN sys.types t ON c.user_type_id = t.user_type_id
WHERE t.name IN ('char', 'nchar', 'ntext', 'nvarchar', 'text', 'varchar')
AND c.[object_id] = o.[object_id]
ORDER BY c.column_id
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE, ROOT).value('root[1]', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)'), 1, 2, '')
) b
OUTER APPLY (
SELECT cols = (
SELECT ', ' + QUOTENAME(c.name) + ' '
FROM sys.columns c
JOIN sys.types t ON c.user_type_id = t.user_type_id
WHERE t.name IN ('char', 'nchar', 'ntext', 'nvarchar', 'text', 'varchar')
AND c.[object_id] = o.[object_id]
ORDER BY c.column_id
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE, ROOT).value('root[1]', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
) c
WHERE o.[type] = 'U'
AND b.cols IS NOT NULL
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE, ROOT).value('root[1]', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #sql
This query searches for the substring in all db's which have tables with text fields -
DECLARE #phrase NVARCHAR(100)
SELECT #phrase = '&'
DECLARE
#db_name SYSNAME
, #output NVARCHAR(200)
DECLARE db CURSOR READ_ONLY FAST_FORWARD LOCAL FOR
SELECT d.name
FROM sys.databases d
WHERE d.state_desc = 'ONLINE'
AND d.name NOT IN ('tempdb', 'model', 'msdb', 'master')
--AND d.name = 'your db name'
ORDER BY d.name
OPEN db
FETCH NEXT FROM db INTO #db_name
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN
SELECT #output = CONVERT(NVARCHAR(15), GETDATE(), 114) + ': Find in ' + QUOTENAME(#db_name) + ':'
RAISERROR(#output, 0, 1) WITH NOWAIT
DECLARE #tsql NVARCHAR(MAX) = '
USE [' + #db_name + '];
DECLARE #sql NVARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT #sql = ''USE [' + #db_name + '];'' + (
SELECT
CHAR(13) +
''IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM '' +
QUOTENAME(s.name) + ''.'' + QUOTENAME(o.name) +
'' WHERE'' + b.cols + '') PRINT ''''['' +
s.name + ''].['' + o.name + '']'''';''
FROM sys.objects o
JOIN sys.schemas s ON o.[schema_id] = s.[schema_id]
JOIN (
SELECT DISTINCT p.[object_id]
FROM sys.partitions p
WHERE p.[rows] > 0
) p ON p.[object_id] = o.[object_id]
OUTER APPLY (
SELECT cols = STUFF((
SELECT ''OR CHARINDEX(''''' + #phrase + ''''', '' + QUOTENAME(c.name) + '') > 0 ''
FROM sys.columns c
JOIN sys.types t ON c.user_type_id = t.user_type_id
WHERE t.name IN (''char'', ''nchar'', ''ntext'', ''nvarchar'', ''text'', ''varchar'')
AND c.[object_id] = o.[object_id]
ORDER BY c.column_id
FOR XML PATH(''''), TYPE, ROOT).value(''root[1]'', ''NVARCHAR(MAX)''), 1, 2, '''')
) b
WHERE o.[type] = ''U''
AND b.cols IS NOT NULL
FOR XML PATH(''''), TYPE, ROOT).value(''root[1]'', ''NVARCHAR(MAX)'')
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #sql
'
EXEC sys.sp_executesql #tsql
PRINT REPLICATE('-', 100) + CHAR(13)
FETCH NEXT FROM db INTO #db_name
END
CLOSE db
DEALLOCATE db