Question

Is it true that SQL Server 2000, you can not insert into a table variable using exec?

I tried this script and got an error message:

EXECUTE cannot be used as a source when inserting into a table variable.

declare @tmp TABLE (code varchar(50), mount money)
DECLARE @q nvarchar(4000)
SET @q = 'SELECT coa_code, amount FROM T_Ledger_detail'

INSERT INTO  @tmp (code, mount)
EXEC sp_executesql (@q)

SELECT * from @tmp

If that true, what should I do?

Answer 1

N.B. – this question and answer relate to the 2000 version of SQL Server. In later versions, the restriction on INSERT INTO @table_variable ... EXEC ... were lifted and so it doesn’t apply for those later versions.

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You’ll have to switch to a temp table:

CREATE TABLE #tmp (code varchar(50), mount money)
DECLARE @q nvarchar(4000)
SET @q = 'SELECT coa_code, amount FROM T_Ledger_detail'

INSERT INTO  #tmp (code, mount)
EXEC sp_executesql (@q)

SELECT * from #tmp

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From the documentation:

A table variable behaves like a local variable. It has a well-defined scope, which is the function, stored procedure, or batch in which it is declared.

Within its scope, a table variable may be used like a regular table. It may be applied anywhere a table or table expression is used in SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. However, table may not be used in the following statements:

INSERT INTO table_variable EXEC stored_procedure

SELECT select_list INTO table_variable statements.