Assign a value to a variable in a select statement and then used to find value in nested select statement - sql

Question

I'm getting the error
A SELECT statement that assigns a value to a variable must not be combined with data-retrieval operations.
Here's my SELECT statement.
SELECT A.vendor_id, **#vendor_employee** = A.vendor_employee_id
, B.txt_first_name, B.txt_last_name,
SELECT txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Element,
(CASE
WHEN txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value <> ''
AND txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value IS NOT NULL
THEN txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value
ELSE CONVERT(VARCHAR, txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Date)
END) AS Vendor_Detail_Element_Value
FROM t_vendor_employee_detail
WHERE vendor_employee_id = **#vendor_employee**)
FROM...

Answer 1

Yes, basically you can't return data and assign variables in the same select statement. What I think you intend to do is a correlated subquery which references an outer value.
That wolud look something like this:
SELECT A.vendor_id, A.vendor_employee_id
, B.txt_first_name, B.txt_last_name,
(SELECT d.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Element
FROM t_vendor_employee_detail d
WHERE d.vendor_employee_id = A.Vendor_employee_id /* references outside the subqquery */)
FROM...
but you are also returning multiple rows in your subquery which should probably be rewritten as a join.
SELECT A.vendor_id, A.vendor_employee_id
, B.txt_first_name, B.txt_last_name,
d.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Element,
(CASE
WHEN D.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value <> ''
AND d.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value IS NOT NULL
THEN d.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value
ELSE CONVERT(VARCHAR, d.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Date)
END) AS Vendor_Detail_Element_Value
FROM vendor_table_A A
INNER JOIN t_vendor_employee_detail d
ON d.vendor_employee_id = A.vendor_employee_id
INNER JOIN vendor_table_B B
ON...
These examples will give you the basic idea but we would really need the whole query to give you a complete solution.

Answer 2

This looks like something that could be rewritten using a JOIN. It's hard to say how without seeing the whole query, but here is an attempt:
SELECT A.vendor_id, A.vendor_employee_id
, B.txt_first_name, B.txt_last_name,
c.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Element,
(CASE
WHEN c.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value <> ''
AND c.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value IS NOT NULL
THEN c.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Value
ELSE CONVERT(VARCHAR, c.txt_Vendor_Employee_Detail_Date)
END) AS Vendor_Detail_Element_Value
FROM ...
INNER JOIN t_vendor_employee_detail c
ON c.vendor_employee_id = A.vendor_employee_id
As the error message says, you cannot use a variable in the way you are trying.

Answer 3

You can retrieve and assign data altogether using a merge statement.
Something like this:
DECLARE #ID TABLE (
ID INT
)
MERGE INTO #ID
USING (
select 1 a,2 b,3 c
) as src
ON ( 1 = 2 )
WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN
INSERT (ID)
VALUES (Src.a)
OUTPUT src.b, src.c
;
SELECT * FROM #ID