Computed Column Specification - Validation error on working query - sql

I want to set the value of a column based on another column's value by using Computed Column Specification in SQL Server.
Basically I want to set the columns' value to be a link if it has a result associated (in another column). This is what I tried putting in the formula part of that column but I always get this
Error Validating formula
T-SQL code:
SELECT
CASE
WHEN D.TestResultId IS NOT NULL
THEN ('Analysis')
ELSE 'Pending Analysis'
END
FROM DailyReport AS D
The query by itself is working fine, but when put in that into the computed column specification it always returns that error. I even tried creating a stored procedure and calling it, but still the same issue. Can I get any help on this?

You don't need the SELECT - FROM part on the computed column. It should just be:
CASE WHEN TestResultId IS NOT NULL
THEN ('<a href="Analysis?Result=' + CONVERT(varchar(max), TestResultId) +
'">Analysis</a>') ELSE 'Pending Analysis' END

Related

How to identify long value using sql

I need to check whether the values received in a file upload column has exponential or long values.
For example, if value is 5.02E+13 instead of numeric value - 50100434157080 then need to restrict it with a message saying format is incorrect.
For this I pass the upload content from frontend to backend in a temporary table and then get it checked if passed value has exponential value or numeric value.
Tried using T-SQL function isnumeric() but it didn't give me expected result. Any other function available?
Since you mention using isnumeric I assume you are using SQL Server, in which case you can try try_cast, for example
select case when Try_Cast(Column as bigint) is null then 'not integer' else 'integer' end
from table
You could also use like
select case when Column like '%e%' then 'exponent' else 'number' end
from table

Need a date field to return blank in SQL Server query

I'm using SQL Server and do NOT have write access to the DB. I can only extract.
I am left joining to the nph2 table to see if there are records. If there isn't a record, I just need the field to be blank. To illustrate what I am trying to do, one of the fields is 'Status' and this works fine:
case when lsf2.STARTDATE > lsf.STARTDATE and lsf2.STARTDATE is not NULL then
lsf2.LEGALSTATUS else '' end as 'Status'
The other field is a date field and I can not make anything similar work. Such as:
case when lsf2.STARTDATE > lsf.STARTDATE and lsf2.STARTDATE is not NULL then
nph2.STARTDATE else '' end as 'StartDate'
I keep getting '1900-01-01 00:00:00' or an error.
And I understand why I am getting that. I have tried several ways to convert etc., but nothing works.
Basically if my date case is not met because there is no record that meets it, I still need a row with other data in it, but need the date field to populate with nothing. Any ideas would be great.
You need to either settle for NULL in the results or cast the entire expression to a varchar type. You will not be able to put an empty string into a date column.
coalesce(cast(case when lsf2.STARTDATE > lsf.STARTDATE then nph2.STARTDATE else NULL end as varchar(20)),'') as 'StartDate'

How to create list as a parameter in SSRS?

I have a report in 2005 SSRS which I want to add a parameter to. The parameter would be comprised of a group of zip codes, but be selected as a single item in the list.
For example, I would like to have 5 zip codes as one selection in the list and 3 for another, etc:
Select 11111,22222,33333,44444,55555,66666 AS Boondock
Select 77777,88888,99999 AS Timbuck
Select Zip Codes NOT IN (11111-99999) AS Everything Else
So my selections in the dropdown would be:
Boondock
Timbuck
Everything Else
Can anyone help me with how I should go about creating this parameter?
Create a simple string parameter to present to the user. Let's call it ZipCodeSet.
Create a dataset that examines the #ZipCodeSet parameter and returns the appropriate list of zip codes. Call it ZipCodeSelection.
Create an internal multivaue parameter that uses ZipCodeSelection as both its Available Values and Default Values. Call it SelectedZipCodes.
Use SelectedZipCodes in your report's datasets.
The easiest solution here would probably to use a Calculated Field on your dataset, called LocationDescription, for example:
=SWITCH(Fields!ZipCode >= 11111 and Fields!ZipCode <= 66666, "Boondock", Fields!ZipCode >= 77777 and Fields!ZipCode <= 99999, "Timbuck",True, "Everywhere Else")
The lone true statement at the end is due to the SWITCH expression reading left-to-right and exiting once it evaluates one of the switches as TRUE. This way for each of the items in your table of ZipCodes you will always end up with a TRUE result.
I assume you're evaluating a range of ZipCodes, and not exact values of 11111,22222, and so on? If so, the switch will have more values. A sample of your data would help if you want an exact answer.
Once you have built your Calculated Field, you can then set up a Parameter (called #LocationParameter) with available values based on a query of your LocationDescription field, then just filter your dataset using:
Expression:
= Fields!LocationDescription
Operator: =
Value:
#LocationParameter
(if you want multiple selections on your parameter, change the operator to IN)
Hope that helps.

SQL - Conditionally joining two columns in same table into one

I am working with a table that contains two versions of stored information. To simplify it, one column contains the old description of a file run while another column contains the updated standard for displaying ran files. It gets more complicated in that the older column can have multiple standards within itself. The table:
Old Column New Column
Desc: LGX/101/rpt null
null Home
Print: LGX/234/rpt null
null Print
null Page
I need to combine the two columns into one, but I also need to delete the "Print: " and "Desc: " string from the beginning of the old column values. Any suggestions? Let me know if/when I'm forgetting something you need to know!
(I am writing in Cache SQL, but I'd just like a general approach to my problem, I can figure out the specifics past that.)
EDIT: the condition is that if substr(oldcol,1,5) = 'desc: ' then substr(oldcol,6)
else if substr(oldcol,1,6) = 'print: ' then substr(oldcol,7) etc. So as to take out the "desc: " and the "print: " to sanitize the data somewhat.
EDIT2: I want to make the table look like this:
Col
LGX/101/rpt
Home
LGX/234/rpt
Print
Page
It's difficult to understand what you are looking for exactly. Does the above represent before/after, or both columns that need combining/merging.
My guess is that COALESCE might be able to help you. It takes a bunch of parameters and returns the first non NULL.
It looks like you're wanting to grab values from new if old is NULL and old if new is null. To do that you can use a case statement in your SQL. I know CASE statements are supported by MySQL, I'm not sure if they'll help you here.
SELECT (CASE WHEN old_col IS NULL THEN new_col ELSE old_col END) as val FROM table_name
This will grab new_col if old_col is NULL, otherwise it will grab old_col.
You can remove the Print: and Desc: by using a combination of CharIndex and Substring functions. Here it goes
SELECT CASE WHEN CHARINDEX(':',COALESCE(OldCol,NewCol)) > 0 THEN
SUBSTRING(COALESCE(OldCol,NewCol),CHARINDEX(':',COALESCE(OldCol,NewCol))+1,8000)
ELSE
COALESCE(OldCol,NewCol)
END AS Newcolvalue
FROM [SchemaName].[TableName]
The Charindex gives the position of the character/string you are searching for.
So you get the position of ":" in the computed column(Coalesce part) and pass that value to the substring function. Then add +1 to the position which indicates the substring function to get the part after the ":". Now you have a string without "Desc:" and "Print:".
Hope this helps.

Conditionally branching in SQL based on the type of a variable

I'm selecting a value out of a table that can either be an integer or a nvarchar. It's stored as nvarchar. I want to conditionally call a function that will convert this value if it is an integer (that is, if it can be converted into an integer), otherwise I want to select the nvarchar with no conversion.
This is hitting a SQL Server 2005 database.
select case
when T.Value (is integer) then SomeConversionFunction(T.Value)
else T.Value
end as SomeAlias
from SomeTable T
Note that it is the "(is integer)" part that I'm having trouble with. Thanks in advance.
UPDATE
Check the comment on Ian's answer. It explains the why and the what a little better. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts.
select case
when ISNUMERIC(T.Value) then T.Value
else SomeConversionFunction(T.Value)
end as SomeAlias
Also, have you considered using the sql_variant data type?
The result set can only have one type associated with it for each column, you will get an error if the first row converts to an integer and there are strings that follow:
Msg 245, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
Conversion failed when converting the nvarchar value 'word' to data type int.
try this to see:
create table testing
(
strangevalue nvarchar(10)
)
insert into testing values (1)
insert into testing values ('word')
select * from testing
select
case
when ISNUMERIC(strangevalue)=1 THEN CONVERT(int,strangevalue)
ELSE strangevalue
END
FROM testing
best bet is to return two columns:
select
case
when ISNUMERIC(strangevalue)=1 THEN CONVERT(int,strangevalue)
ELSE NULL
END AS StrangvalueINT
,case
when ISNUMERIC(strangevalue)=1 THEN NULL
ELSE strangevalue
END AS StrangvalueString
FROM testing
or your application can test for numeric and do your special processing.
You can't have a column that is sometimes an integer and sometimes a string. Return the string and check it using int.TryParse() in the client code.
ISNUMERIC. However, this accepts +, - and decimals so more work is needed.
However, you can't have the columns as both datatypes in one go: you'll need 2 columns.
I'd suggest that you deal with this in your client or use an ISNUMERIC replacement
IsNumeric will get you part of the way there. You can then add some further code to check whether it is an integer
for example:
select top 10
case
when isnumeric(mycolumn) = 1 then
case
when convert(int, mycolumn) = mycolumn then
'integer'
else
'number but not an integer'
end
else
'not a number'
end
from mytable
To clarify some other answers, your SQL statement can't return different data types in one column (it looks like the other answers are saying you can't store different data types in one column - yours are all strign represenations).
Therefore, if you use ISNUMERIC or another function, the value will be cast as a string in the table that is returned anyway if there are other strigns being selected.
If you are selecting only one value then it could return a string or a number, however your front end code will need to be able to return the different data types.
Just to add to some of the other comments about not being able to return different data types in the same column... Database columns should know what datatype they are holding. If they don't then that should be a BIG red flag that you have a design problem somewhere, which almost guarantees future headaches (like this one).