TransactSQL to run another TransactSQL script - sql

Question

I have 10 transact SQL scripts that each create a table and fill it with data.
I am attempting to create 1 master sql script that will run each of the 10 other scripts.
Is there a way with TSQL / TRANSACTSQL for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 to execute another tsql script from within the current tsql script?
This is intended to be run through the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
Thanks!

Answer 1

Try this if you are trying to execute a .sql file in SSMS:
:r C:\Scripts\Script1.sql
:r C:\Scripts\Script2.sql
:r C:\Scripts\Script3.sql
...
note: for this to run turn on sql command mode (Query > SQLCMD Mode)
If these are scripts you run fairly often you might consider dropping them in a stored proc and running them that way...
You can also do it through sqlcmd (which I believe is more common):
sqlcmd -S serverName\instanceName -i C:\Scripts\Script1.sql

Answer 2

Or just use openrowset to read your script into a variable and execute it:
DECLARE #SQL varchar(MAX)
SELECT #SQL = BulkColumn
FROM OPENROWSET
( BULK 'MeinPfad\MeinSkript.sql'
, SINGLE_BLOB ) AS MYTABLE
--PRINT #sql
EXEC (#sql)

Answer 3

I find it useful to define a variable with the path, if I want to execute a set of scripts, say to run a test, something like:
:setvar path "C:\code\branch-qa"
:r $(path)\tables\client.sql
:r $(path)\tables\item.sql
:r $(path)\proc\clientreport.sql
exec clientreport

Answer 4

You can use osql or better yet the newer sqlcmd almost interchangeably. I am using osql in this example only because I happened to have a code sample sitting around but in production I am using sqlcmd. Here is a snipped of code out of a larger procedure I use to run update scripts against databases. They are ordered by major, minor, release, build as I name my scripts using that convention to track releases. You are obviously missing all of my error handing, the parts where I pull available scripts from the database, setup variables, etc but you may still find this snippet useful.
The main part I like about using osql or sqlcmd is that you can run this code in ssms, or in a stored procedure (called on a scheduled basis maybe) or from a batch file. Very flexible.
--Use cursor to run upgrade scripts
DECLARE OSQL_cursor CURSOR
READ_ONLY
FOR SELECT FileName
FROM #Scripts
ORDER BY Major, Minor, Release, Build
OPEN OSQL_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM OSQL_cursor INTO #name
WHILE (##fetch_status <> -1)
BEGIN
IF ((##fetch_status <> -2) AND (#result = 0))
BEGIN
SET #CommandString = 'osql -S ' + ##ServerName + ' -E -n -b -d ' + #DbName + ' -i "' + #Dir + #name + '"'
EXEC #result = master.dbo.xp_cmdshell #CommandString, NO_OUTPUT
IF (#result = 0)
BEGIN
SET #Seconds = DATEDIFF(s, #LastTime, GETDATE())
SET #Minutes = #Seconds / 60
SET #Seconds = #Seconds - (#Minutes * 60)
PRINT 'Successfully applied ' + #name + ' in ' + cast(#Minutes as varchar)
+ ' minutes ' + cast(#Seconds as varchar) + ' seconds.'
SET #LastTime = GETDATE()
END
ELSE
BEGIN
SET #errMessage = 'Error applying ' + #name + '! The database is in an unknown state and the schema may not match the version.'
SET #errMessage = #errMessage + char(13) + 'To find the error restore the database to version ' + #StartingVersion
SET #errMessage = #errMessage + ', set #UpToVersion = the last version successfully applied, then run ' + #name
SET #errMessage = #errMessage + ' manually in Query Analyzer.'
END
IF #name = (#UpToVersion + '.sql')
GOTO CleanUpCursor --Quit if the final script specified has been run.
END
FETCH ENDT FROM OSQL_cursor INTO #name
END

Answer 5

The simplest way would be to make your scripts stored procedures, and to call (via the EXECUTE command) each procedure in turn from a central procedure. This is ideal if you're going to run the exact same script(s) over and over again (or the same script with different parameters passed in).
If your scripts are .sql (or any kind of text) file, as #Abe Miesller says (upvoted) you can run them from within SSMS via the :r command, when SQLCMD mode is enabled. You would have to know and script the exact file path and name. This cannot be done from within a stored procedure.
A last alternative, usable with "known" file names and necessary for arbitrary file names (say, all files currently loaded in a subfolder) is to leverage the power of extended procedure XP_CMDSHELL. Such solutions can get compelx pretty fast (use it to retrieve list of files, build and execute via xp_cmdshell a string calling SQLCMD for each file in turn, manage results and errors via output files, it goes on and on) so I'd only do this as a last resort.

Answer 6

Assuming you want to keep the 10 scripts in their own individual files, I would say the easiest way to do what you want would be to create a batch file that executes osql.exe to execute the 10 scripts in the order you want.