Pass a TABLE variable to sp_executesql - sql

Question

I'm trying to pass a TABLE variable to the sp_executesql procedure:
DECLARE #params NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET #params = '#workingData TABLE ( col1 VARCHAR(20),
col2 VARCHAR(50) )'
EXEC sp_executesql #sql, #params, #workingData
I get the error:
Msg 156, Level 15, State 1, Line 1
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'TABLE'.
I tried omitting the column specification after 'TABLE'. I also tried to declare the table as a variable inside the dynamic SQL. But no luck...
Seems to me that TABLE variables aren't allowed to be passed as parameters in this procedure?. BTW: I'm running MSSQL2008 R2.
I'm not interested in using a local temp table like #workingData because I load the working data from another procedure:
INSERT INTO #workingData
EXEC myProc #param1, #param2
Which I cannot do directly into a temp varaible (right?)...
Any help appreciated!

Answer 1

If you are using SQL Server 2008, to pass a table variable to a stored procedure you must first define the table type, e.g.:
CREATE TYPE SalesHistoryTableType AS TABLE
(
[Product] [varchar](10) NULL,
[SaleDate] [datetime] NULL,
[SalePrice] [money] NULL
)
GO
or use an existing table type stored in the database.
Use this query to locate existing table types
SELECT * FROM sys.table_types
To use in an stored procedure, declare an input variable to be the table:
CREATE PROCEDURE usp_myproc
(
#TableVariable SalesHistoryTableType READONLY
)
AS BEGIN
--Do stuff
END
GO
Populate the table variable before passing to the stored procedure:
DECLARE #DataTable AS SalesHistoryTableType
INSERT INTO #DataTable
SELECT * FROM (Some data)
Call the stored procedure:
EXECUTE usp_myproc
#TableVariable = #DataTable
Further discussions here.

Answer 2

OK, this will get me what I want, but surely isn't pretty:
DECLARE #workingData TABLE ( col1 VARCHAR(20),
col2 VARCHAR(20) )
INSERT INTO #workingData
EXEC myProc
/* Unfortunately table variables are outside scope
for the dynamic SQL later run. We copy the
table to a temp table.
The table variable is needed to extract data directly
from the strored procedure call above...
*/
SELECT *
INTO #workingData
FROM #workingData
DECLARE #sql NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET #sql = 'SELECT * FROM #workingData'
EXEC sp_executesql #sql
There must be a better way to pass this temporary resultset into sp_executesql!?
Regards
Alex

Answer 3

While this may not directly answer your question, it should solve your issue overall.
You can indeed capture the results of a Stored Procedure execution into a temporary table:
INSERT INTO #workingData
EXEC myProc
So change your code to look like the following:
CREATE TABLE #workingData ( col1 VARCHAR(20),
col2 VARCHAR(20) )
INSERT INTO #workingData
EXEC myProc
DECLARE #sql NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET #sql = 'SELECT * FROM #workingData'
EXEC sp_executesql #sql
Regards,
Tim

Answer 4

Alter PROCEDURE sp_table_getcount
#tblname nvarchar(50) ,
#totalrow int output
AS
BEGIN
Declare #params nvarchar(1000)
Declare #sql nvarchar(1000)
set #sql = N'Select #cnt= count(*) From #tbl'
set #params = N'#tbl nvarchar(50) , #cnt int OUTPUT'
Exec sp_executesql #sql , #params ,#tbl=#tblname , #cnt = #totalrow OUTPUT
END
GO
Please note that the above code will not work as table as a object is out of the scope.It will give you the error: must declare table variable.In order to work around we can do the following.
Alter PROCEDURE sp_table_getcount
#tblname nvarchar(50) ,
#totalrow int output
AS
BEGIN
Declare #params nvarchar(1000)
Declare #sql nvarchar(1000)
set #sql = N'Select #cnt= count(*) From dbo.' + #tblname
set #params = N'#cnt int OUTPUT'
Exec sp_executesql #sql , #params , #cnt = #totalrow OUTPUT
END
GO

Answer 5

So-called TableType is tricky. #Alex version should work. However, to simplify and faster performance, go check sys.tables for matching table name while not compromise security and performance.
Here it is
create proc [dbo].Test11
#t1 AS nvarchar(250), #t2 nvarchar(250)
AS
BEGIN
SET nocount ON;
DECLARE #query AS nvarchar(MAX)
if exists (select * from sys.tables where name = #t1) and
exists (select * from sys.tables where name = #t2)
begin
SET #query = N'select * FROM '+ #t1 + N' join ' + #t2 + N' ON ...' ;
select 'Safe and fast'
print #query
exec sp_executesql #query
end
else
select 'Bad, no way Jose.'
SET nocount OFF;
END
GO