SQL Server 2008 ALTER TABLE add column with specific column - sql

Question

Is there any way I can add a column to a table but I want the heading to be a date, and every new column added will have a column heading for the next day hence the
SET #date1 = #date1 + 1
What I want the table to look like is, where the date on top is a new column for each day the script loops:
StoreID StoreName 02/01/12 03/01/12 04/01/12
1234 Coles1 7512 8574
1235 Coles2 7210 8441
1236 Coles3 4845 5448
When I run the script I get the following error messages:
Msg 170, Level 15, State 1, Line 1
Line 1: Incorrect syntax near '#Column'.
Msg 170, Level 15, State 1, Line 1
Line 1: Incorrect syntax near '#Column'.
Here is my script:
DECLARE #date datetime
DECLARE #date1 datetime
DECLARE #date2 datetime
DECLARE #Column varchar(8)
SET #date = '02 Jan 2012'
SET #date1 = '02 Jan 2012'
SET #date2 = '08 Jan 2012'
SET #Column = CONVERT(VARCHAR(8), #date1, 3)
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sysobjects WHERE xtype = 'U' AND name = '#vl_temp_trans')
BEGIN
CREATE TABLE #vl_temp_trans
(StoreID INT,
StoreName VARCHAR(100),
#Column MONEY) ----> column name to be date "#Column)
END
WHILE (#date1 <= #date2)
BEGIN
SET #Column = CONVERT(VARCHAR(8), #date1, 3)
ALTER table #vl_temp_trans
ADD #Column MONEY ----> column name to be date "#Column"
Insert into #vl_temp_trans (storeID, storeName, #Column)
select storeId, storeName, TotalDailyTransactions
from daily_trans t1 (nolock)
full outer join outlets t2 (nolock) on t1.StoreID = t2.StoreID
where DailyEnd = #date1 + 1
SET #date1 = #date1 + 1
END

Answer 1

You can't do this without dynamic SQL. Here is a query that will get you the result you want. You are more than welcome to uncomment the --INTO #t bit, however it is unclear what you want to do with the #temporary table beyond that (if you tell us the end result, instead of "I want to add a column name as #column, maybe we can help with that too). In order to continue referencing that #t table, you'll need to continue using code within the same scope - meaning more dynamic SQL that is executed within the same sp_executesql call.
DECLARE
#start DATE = '2012-01-02',
#end DATE = '2012-01-08';
DECLARE
#sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'',
#colMax NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'',
#colNames NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'';
;WITH x(rn) AS ( SELECT TOP (DATEDIFF(DAY, #start, #end) + 1) ROW_NUMBER()
OVER (ORDER BY [object_id]) - 1 FROM sys.all_columns ),
y(d) AS ( SELECT CONVERT(CHAR(10), DATEADD(DAY, rn, #start)) FROM x
)
SELECT #colMax += N',' + CHAR(13) + CHAR(10)
+ QUOTENAME(d) + ' = SUM(CASE WHEN DailyEnd = '''
+ d + ''' THEN TotalDailyTransactions ELSE 0 END)',
#colNames += N',' + QUOTENAME(d) FROM y;
SET #sql = 'SELECT StoreID, StoreName, ' + STUFF(#colNames, 1, 1, '')
+ ' --INTO #t
FROM ( SELECT StoreID, StoreName, ' + STUFF(#colMax, 1, 1, '')
+ ' FROM dbo.daily_trans
WHERE DailyEnd >= ''' + CONVERT(CHAR(10), #start) + ''''
+ ' AND DailyEnd < ''' + CONVERT(CHAR(10), DATEADD(DAY, 1, #end)) + '''
GROUP BY StoreID, StoreName
UNION ALL SELECT StoreID, StoreName, ' + STUFF(#colMax, 1, 1, '')
+ ' FROM dbo.outlets
WHERE DailyEnd >= ''' + CONVERT(CHAR(10), #start) + ''''
+ ' AND DailyEnd < ''' + CONVERT(CHAR(10), DATEADD(DAY, 1, #end)) + '''
GROUP BY StoreID, StoreName) AS x';
PRINT #sql;
-- EXEC sp_executesql #sql;

Answer 2

I think the problem is that you can't use a variable to define a column name.
I used some of your code to test with. This first part executed fine.
DECLARE #date1 datetime
DECLARE #Column varchar(8)
SET #date1 = '02 Jan 2012'
SET #Column = CONVERT(VARCHAR(8), #date1, 3)
select #Column
But when I added the CREATE TABLE statement and executed all of it at once, then I got the same error you did.
CREATE TABLE #vl_temp_trans
(StoreID INT,
StoreName VARCHAR(100),
#Column MONEY) ----> column name to be date "#Column)
To do this you will need to build up the CREATE TABLE and ALTER TABLE statements as a string and then execute those using EXECUTE or sp_executesql. A search for "dynamic sql" will also give you some article that describe this too.

Answer 3

There is two things you need to do to execute this code...
Create dynamic sql make use of SP_ExecuteSQl
you need to make your temp table Gobal because when you create private temp table it remain in scope of dyanic sql sp only
have look to below code which is updated by me sure reslove your issue
DECLARE #date datetime
DECLARE #date1 datetime
DECLARE #date2 datetime
DECLARE #ColumnNAAME varchar(8)
Declare #Query NVARCHAR(1000)
DECLARE #ParmDefinition NVARCHAR(500);
SET #date = getdate()
SET #date1 = getdate()
SET #date2 = getdate()
SET #ColumnNAAME = CONVERT(VARCHAR(8), #date1, 3)
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sysobjects WHERE xtype = 'U' AND name = '#vl_temp_trans')
BEGIN
SET #ParmDefinition = N'#Column varchar(8)';
Set #Query = 'CREATE TABLE ##vl_temp_trans (StoreID INT, StoreName VARCHAR(100), ['+#ColumnNAAME+'] MONEY)'
EXECUTE sp_executesql #Query,#ParmDefinition,
#Column = #ColumnNAAME;
----> column name to be date "#Column)
SELECT * from ##vl_temp_trans
END
ELSE
BEGIN
SELECT * from ##vl_temp_trans
END