Question

This script below works on a field by field basis, and removes the quotes at the beginning and the end of every entry, BUT if you have more than 3 or 4 columns, copying, pasting changing to every new column name takes a huge amount of time. Any idea how to have this perhaps loop through every column?

--Removing quotes back and front from fields where datetime_updated is not blank
UPDATE [Majestic].[dbo].hdiyouth_school_2
SET datetime_updated=left(right(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar), 
    LEN(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar))-1),
    LEN(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar))-2)
WHERE datetime_updated IS NOT NULL AND datetime_updated LIKE '"%"'

Answer 1

You can auto-generate a query for each column, in a manner similar to this:

select 
'UPDATE [Majestic].[dbo].hdiyouth_school_2
SET ['+column_name+']=left(right(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar), 
    LEN(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar))-1),
    LEN(cast(datetime_updated as nVarchar))-2)
WHERE datetime_updated IS NOT NULL AND datetime_updated LIKE ''"%"'';'
from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
where TABLE_NAME='Employee' and TABLE_SCHEMA='HumanResources'