Question

I need to be able to query a SharePoint database for survey results. The type of data I’m having problems with is a “Rating Scale” value. So the data in each table column represents a whole group of sub-questions and their answers.

So the following is an example of what is found in ONE column:

1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#3#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA’s);#3#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#4#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#4#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA’s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#4#

The Questions end with a semi-colon and their answers are inside the two # signs. So the answer to the first question is 3.

When I export the results of the survey it formats each question as a column header and the answer as the value in the cell below, which is ideal to get an average for each question, and would love to be able to replicate that from a SQL query.

But if I could get query results into two columns (Question, Answer)…I’d be thrilled with that.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks very much

Hank Stallings

*****ADDENDUM:**

This was my version of astander’s solution…THANKS again!

DECLARE @Table TABLE(  
        QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),  
        QA VARCHAR(5000)  
) 

DECLARE @ReturnTable TABLE( 
        QuestionSource VARCHAR(50), 
        Question VARCHAR(5000),  
        Answer int  
) 

DECLARE @XmlField XML, 
        @QuestionSource VARCHAR(50) 

INSERT INTO @Table SELECT 
'Availability' AS QuestionSource,CONVERT(varchar(5000),ntext1) FROM UserData WHERE tp_ContentType = 'My Survey' 
INSERT INTO @Table SELECT 
'Capacity' AS QuestionSource,CONVERT(varchar(5000),ntext2) FROM UserData WHERE tp_ContentType = 'My Survey' 

--SELECT * FROM @Table 

DECLARE Cur CURSOR FOR  
SELECT  QuestionSource, 
        CAST(Val AS XML) XmlVal  
FROM    (  
            SELECT  QuestionSource, 
            LEFT(Vals, LEN(Vals) - LEN('<option><q>')) Val  
            FROM    (  
                        SELECT  QuestionSource, 
                            '<option><q>' + REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(QA,'&','&amp;'), ';#','</q><a>'), '#', '</a></option><option><q>') Vals  
                        FROM @Table 

                    ) sub  
        ) sub  

OPEN Cur  
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO @QuestionSource,@XmlField  

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0   
BEGIN  
    INSERT INTO @ReturnTable  
    SELECT  @QuestionSource, 
            T.split.query('q').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') question,  
            T.split.query('a').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') answer  
    FROM    @XmlField.nodes('/option') T(split)  
    FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO @QuestionSource,@XmlField  
END  

CLOSE Cur  
DEALLOCATE Cur  

SELECT * FROM @ReturnTable 

Answer 1

OK, let see. I had to use a cursor, as this would probably have been better achieved from a programming language like C#, but here goes… Using Sql Server 2005, try the following. Let me know if you need any explanations.

DECLARE @Table TABLE(
        QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
        QA VARCHAR(1000)
)

DECLARE @ReturnTable TABLE(
        QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
        Question VARCHAR(1000),
        Answer VARCHAR(10)
)

DECLARE @XmlField XML,
        @QuestionSource VARCHAR(40)

INSERT INTO @Table SELECT
'Availability','1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#3#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA''s);#3#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#4#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#4#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA''s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#4#'
INSERT INTO @Table SELECT
'Capacity', '1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#1#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA''s);#2#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#3#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#5#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA''s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#6#'


DECLARE Cur CURSOR FOR
SELECT  QuestionSource,
        CAST(Val AS XML) XmlVal
FROM    (
            SELECT  QuestionSource,
                    LEFT(Vals, LEN(Vals) - LEN('<option><q>')) Val
            FROM    (
                        SELECT  QuestionSource,
                                '<option><q>' + REPLACE(REPLACE(QA, ';#','</q><a>'), '#', '</a></option><option><q>') Vals
                        FROM    @Table
                    ) sub
        ) sub

OPEN Cur
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO @QuestionSource, @XmlField

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO @ReturnTable
    SELECT  @QuestionSource,
            T.split.query('q').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') question,
            T.split.query('a').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') answer
    FROM    @XmlField.nodes('/option') T(split)
    FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO @QuestionSource, @XmlField
END

CLOSE Cur
DEALLOCATE Cur

SELECT  * 
FROM    @ReturnTable