T SQL Convert a row to a string - sql

Question

Is there a valid way in SQL Server 2005 to read a row of data into a string?
For example if my table looked like the following:
ID | First Name | Last Name | Color
-----------------------------------
1 | Timmy | Jones | pink
2 | Martha | Fisher | green
That I could get back as a result:
'1 Timmy Jones pink'
'2 Martha Fisher green'
Preferably I could get back with the column name appended such as:
'ID: 1, First Name: Timmy, Last Name: Jones, Color: pink'
'ID: 2, First Name: Martha, Last Name: Fisher, Color: green'
Update:
I'm looking for a dynamic solution so I guess querying against INFORMATION_SCHEMA would be more appropriate.
This actually helps a bit because I'm looking to set it off from an update trigger, so I'll have one row at a time and I can query against the INFORMATION_SCHEMA for the main table checking datatypes to eliminate text, ntext and image that the generated tables, 'inserted' and 'deleted' choke on.
Solution: (updated: had to add some more code to return the one value)
-- passed in table name & schema
DECLARE #table_name nvarchar(100)
DECLARE #schema_name nvarchar(100)
-- set initial value
SET #table_name = 'my_table'
SET #schema_name = 'dbo'
-- Variable to hold query
DECLARE #sql nvarchar(MAX)
SET #sql = 'SELECT #row_stringOUT = '
-- Query columns meeting criteria and build query
SELECT
-- Query as one string
#sql = (#sql + ' '' ' + COLUMN_NAME + ': '' + CASE WHEN ' + COLUMN_NAME + ' IS NULL THEN '''' WHEN ISDATE(' + COLUMN_NAME + ') = 1 THEN CONVERT(nvarchar(100), ' + COLUMN_NAME + ', 120) ELSE CAST(' + COLUMN_NAME + ' AS nvarchar(100)) END + ')
FROM
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE
table_schema = #schema_name
AND
table_name = #table_name
AND
-- Filter out unuseable data types
data_type NOT IN ('text', 'ntext', 'image')
-- Trim extra character before FROM statement then add FROM statement
SELECT #sql = LEFT(#sql, LEN(#sql) - 1) + ' FROM ' + #table_name;
-- Execute Query
DECLARE #params nvarchar(MAX)
SET #params = N'#row_stringOUT ntext OUTPUT';
DECLARE #ret_value nvarchar(MAX)
EXEC sp_executesql
#sql
, #params
, #row_stringOUT = #ret_value OUTPUT
SELECT #ret_value

Answer 1

you can just concat the columns. if you want to get column names to you'll have to use some mix of dynamic sql, INFORMATION_SCHEMA views and querying...
SELECT cast(ID as varchar(10)) + ' ' + [First Name] + ' ' + [Last Name] + ' ' + Color
FROM MyTable

Answer 2

Select CAST(ID As Varchar(8)) + ' ' + [First Name] + ' ' + [Last Name] + ' ' + Color
From TheTable
To get the verbose formatting you mentioned:
Select 'ID: ' + CAST(ID As Varchar(8)) + ', First Name: ' + [First Name] + ', Last Name: ' + [Last Name] + ', Color: ' + Color
From TheTable
Edit: Now assuming ID is an integer autonumber. Most likely the case, as ajdams points out.

Answer 3

Actually if ID has a data type of int the solution Patrick suggested will give you a conversion error. You will have to do something like this
SELECT CAST(ID AS varchar(10)) + ' ' + [first name] + ' ' + [last name + ' ' + color
FROM MYTABLE