Question

Within SQL Server 2005, I need to create a table dynamically based upon the rows returned from a query.

For example:

SELECT * FROM TableA 

returns the following rows

1. Forename
2. Surname
3. DOB

And I’d like a table created like so:

Forename, Surname, DOB.

I plan to use this procedure on a number of different sources therefore the returned rows will be different each time.

Many thanks

Answer 1

I would use SELECT INTO in conjunction with PIVOT:

See:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms177410.aspx
• http://www.devguru.com/technologies/t-sql/7126.asp
• http://www.simple-talk.com/community/blogs/andras/archive/2007/09/14/37265.aspx

I don’t have access to SQL Server right now, but I would go for something like this (based on the links above):

SELECT [0] 
INTO TableB
FROM
    ( SELECT id, colName FROM TableA ) AS SourceTable
PIVOT
    ( AVG(id) FOR colName IN [0] ) AS PivotTable;