SQL How to effectively use dynamic sql query when output COLUMN order is important - sql

Question

My question is really how to ensure that the ORDER of the OUTPUT is maintained when using dynamic query to get data out. I have a couple of dynamic queries that I am utilizing and I notice that when I run the same query on different machines, I get output in different orders. Currently, I store the data outputted into a temp table which assume the order of the output to be the same as that on my local machine but on production, it is all switched up. How do I get more control of this so that every time the query is run, the order of the output is maintained?
When I go to use an Order BY in my dynamic query I get the error
Msg 1033, Level 15, State 1, Line 18
The ORDER BY clause is invalid in views, inline functions, derived tables, subqueries, and common table expressions, unless TOP, OFFSET or FOR XML is also specified.
DECLARE #colsUnpivot AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
#query AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
#colsPivot as NVARCHAR(MAX)
IF EXISTS
(
SELECT *
FROM tempdb.dbo.sysobjects
WHERE ID = OBJECT_ID(N'tempdb..#ibutes')
)
BEGIN
DROP TABLE #ibutes
END
Create table #ibutes
(
ProductID uniqueIdentifier,
PAID uniqueidentifier,
Label nvarchar(50),
Val nvarchar(3072),
unit nvarchar(50)
)
;With Number
As
(
Select 1 as rownum union all Select 2 union all Select 3 union all Select 4 union all Select 5 union all Select 6 union all Select 7 union all Select 8 union all Select 9 union all Select 10 union all Select 11 union all Select 12 union all Select 13 union all Select 14 union all Select 15 union all Select 16 union all Select 17 union all Select 18 union all Select 19 union all Select 20 union all Select 21
),
ProductDetail
as
(
select P.ProdID, N.rownum from IDWProduct P cross join Number N
)
Insert into #ibutes
Select ProdID , PAVibuteID, COALESCE(PANAme,''), COALESCE(PAVValue,''), COALESCE(unitLabel,'')
from ProductDetail P
Left join
(select Pr.*, PAName, row_number() over (partition by PAVProductID order by PAVID) as Rn from IDWProductibuteValues Pr
inner join IDWibutes on PAID = PAVibuteID Where PAIscustom = 0 AND PAIsManufacturerSpecific =0 AND PANAME NOT IN
('Brand Name', 'Standard', 'Application', 'Sub Brand', 'Type', 'Special Features'))
Pr ON rownum = Pr.Rn And PAVProductID = ProdID
left join IDWUnitofMeasures on Pr.PAVunit = unitID
--Select * from #ibutes
select #colsUnpivot = stuff((select ','+quotename(C.name)
from tempdb.sys.columns as C
where C.object_id = object_id('tempdb..#ibutes') AND C.name Not in ('ProductID')
for xml path('')), 1, 1, '')
--select #colsUnpivot
select #colsPivot = STUFF((SELECT ',' + quotename(c.name + cast(t.rn as varchar(10)))
from
(
select row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn from #ibutes
) t
cross apply
tempdb.sys.columns as C
where C.object_id = object_id('tempdb..#ibutes') AND C.name Not in ('ProductID')
group by c.name, t.rn
order by t.rn
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
--select #colsPivot
set #query = 'select *
from
(
select ProductID,
col + cast(rn as varchar(10)) new_col,
val
from
(
select
Cast (PAID as NVarchar(3072)) PAID
,Cast (ProductID as NVarchar(3072)) ProductID
,Cast (Label as NVarchar(3072)) Label
,Cast (Val as NVarchar(3072)) Val
,Cast (unit as NVarchar(3072)) unit
,row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn
from #ibutes
) x
unpivot
(
val
for col in ('+ #colsunpivot +')
) u
) x1
pivot
(
max(val)
for new_col in
('+ #colspivot +')
) p'
exec(#query)
The results of running the query
ON MY LOCAL/DEV MACHINE
========================
select *
from
(
select ProductID,
col + cast(rn as varchar(10)) new_col,
val
from
(
select
Cast (PAID as NVarchar(3072)) PAID
,Cast (ProductID as NVarchar(3072)) ProductID
,Cast (Label as NVarchar(3072)) Label
,Cast (Val as NVarchar(3072)) Val
,Cast (unit as NVarchar(3072)) unit
,row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn
from #ibutes
) x
unpivot
(
val
for col in ([Label],[unit],[Val],[PAID])
) u
) x1
pivot
(
max(val)
for new_col in
([Label1],[unit1],[Val1],[PAID1],[Label2],[unit2],[Val2],[PAID2],[Label3],[unit3],[Val3],[PAID3],[Label4],[unit4],[Val4],[PAID4],[Label5],[unit5],[Val5],[PAID5],[Label6],[unit6],[Val6],[PAID6],[Label7],[unit7],[Val7],[PAID7],[Label8],[unit8],[Val8],[PAID8],[Label9],[unit9],[Val9],[PAID9],[Label10],[unit10],[Val10],[PAID10],[Label11],[unit11],[Val11],[PAID11],[Label12],[unit12],[Val12],[PAID12],[Label13],[unit13],[Val13],[PAID13],[Label14],[unit14],[Val14],[PAID14],[Label15],[unit15],[Val15],[PAID15],[Label16],[unit16],[Val16],[PAID16],[Label17],[unit17],[Val17],[PAID17],[Label18],[unit18],[Val18],[PAID18],[Label19],[unit19],[Val19],[PAID19],[Label20],[unit20],[Val20],[PAID20],[Label21],[unit21],[Val21],[PAID21])
) p
ON PRODUCTION MACHINE HOWEVER IT IS DIFFERENT. PLEASE NOTICE THE CHANGE IN ORDER OF THE
COLUMNS
select *
from
(
select ProductID,
col + cast(rn as varchar(10)) new_col,
val
from
(
select
Cast (PAID as NVarchar(3072)) PAID
,Cast (ProductID as NVarchar(3072)) ProductID
,Cast (Label as NVarchar(3072)) Label
,Cast (Val as NVarchar(3072)) Val
,Cast (Unit as NVarchar(3072)) Unit
,row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn
from #ibutes
) x
unpivot
(
val
for col in ([PAID],[Label],[Val],[Unit])
) u
) x1
pivot
(
max(val)
for new_col in
([PAID1],[Label1],[Val1],[Unit1],[PAID2],[Label2],[Val2],[Unit2],[PAID3],[Label3],[Val3],[Unit3],[PAID4],[Label4],[Val4],[Unit4],[PAID5],[Label5],[Val5],[Unit5],[PAID6],[Label6],[Val6],[Unit6],[PAID7],[Label7],[Val7],[Unit7],[PAID8],[Label8],[Val8],[Unit8],[PAID9],[Label9],[Val9],[Unit9],[PAID10],[Label10],[Val10],[Unit10],[PAID11],[Label11],[Val11],[Unit11],[PAID12],[Label12],[Val12],[Unit12],[PAID13],[Label13],[Val13],[Unit13],[PAID14],[Label14],[Val14],[Unit14],[PAID15],[Label15],[Val15],[Unit15],[PAID16],[Label16],[Val16],[Unit16],[PAID17],[Label17],[Val17],[Unit17],[PAID18],[Label18],[Val18],[Unit18],[PAID19],[Label19],[Val19],[Unit19],[PAID20],[Label20],[Val20],[Unit20],[PAID21],[Label21],[Val21],[Unit21])
) p
Please note the difference btw local machine where the order seems alphabetical
[Label1],[unit1],[Val1],[PAID1],[Label2],[unit2].
. . .
while on Production machine, it is not
[PAID1],[Label1],[Val1],[Unit1],[PAID2],[Label2],[Val2],[Unit2], .. . . .

Answer 1

I think there is one only obvious answer. Use the order by clause in the dynamic query.

Answer 2

Simply, all queries whether dynamic or not are not guaranteed to come out the same on different machines!
If the order of the results is important to you, use ORDER BY
For example:
SELECT *
FROM TBL
ORDER BY FIRSTNAME

Answer 3

If you want order then use an order by.
In absence of an order by there is no guaranteed order.
If there is a tie then no guarantee the sort will repeat on the tie.
Use enough columns there is no tie.
It appears you are referring to order of the columns not rows.
If you select * you will the the columns in the order they are defined in the table.
If you need to control the order of the columns then don't use *.
select table1.col4, table1.col2
from table1

Answer 4

May be you can try this
'select *
from
(
select ProductID,
col + cast(rn as varchar(10)) new_col,
val
from
(
select top 100 percent
Cast (PAID as NVarchar(3072)) PAID
,Cast (ProductID as NVarchar(3072)) ProductID
,Cast (Label as NVarchar(3072)) Label
,Cast (Val as NVarchar(3072)) Val
,Cast (unit as NVarchar(3072)) unit
,row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn
from #ibutes
order by row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) asc
) x
unpivot
(
val
for col in ('+ #colsunpivot +')
) u
) x1
pivot
(
max(val)
for new_col in
('+ #colspivot +')
) p'

Answer 5

Now that we know where you're adding the ORDER BY, the answer is clearer.
You're trying to order the query whose results are inserted into #colsPivot and that's the problem.
ORDER BY is mainly used for ordering the final results and thus should be on the final query (the dynamic one).
The exception to this is if it is used as part of a "limiting" query (eg. TOP 10).
Try adding the ORDER BY to the dynamic query and let us know if it worked.

Answer 6

why not change the following:
set #query = 'select *
from
to something like
set #query = 'select *
into #x
from
you'll need to explicitly create #x before the dynamic sql i.e
create table #x
(
blah int,
blah char(8)
)
then after the exec statement have a further query
select *
from #x
order by whatever

Answer 7

Can you try the following?
Add the order by below to the first query
select #colsUnpivot = stuff((select ','+quotename(C.name)
from tempdb.sys.columns as C
where C.object_id = object_id('tempdb..#ibutes') AND C.name Not in ('ProductID')
ORDER BY c.column_id --Add this
for xml path('')), 1, 1, '')
change the order by below of the second query
select #colsPivot = STUFF((SELECT ',' + quotename(c.name + cast(t.rn as varchar(10)))
from
(
select row_number() over(partition by ProductID order by ProductID) rn from #ibutes
) t
cross apply
tempdb.sys.columns as C
where C.object_id = object_id('tempdb..#ibutes') AND C.name Not in ('ProductID')
group by c.name, t.rn
ORDER BY c.column_id --Change this
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')
Hope that helps...