DECLARE @Query nvarchar(max) SET @Query ='DECLARE @Test nvarchar(max) SELECT @Test = ''\a'\b'\c'' SELECT @Test PRINT @Query exec sp_executesql @Query I am trying to get an output as \a\b\c. The above error is probably because I am not able to escape the \ character.
You do not need to escape the backslashes (only the inner single quotes):
DECLARE @Query nvarchar(max) SET @Query ='DECLARE @Test nvarchar(max) SELECT @Test = ''\a\b\c'' SELECT @Test' PRINT @Query exec sp_executesql @Query There is in fact one place where back slashes do need to be escaped (or at least treated specially) in SQL Server.
When a backslash immediately precedes a new line in a string literal both the backslash and the new line are removed.
PRINT 'Foo\ Bar' Returns
FooBar The article here indicates that this is a feature of the client tools rather than TSQL itself but I don't believe this to be the case as the following code has the same result
DECLARE @X VARCHAR(100) = 'PRINT ''Foo\' + CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) + 'Bar'' ' EXEC(@X) If you actually require a string literal with a backslash followed by carriage returns you can double them up.
PRINT 'Foo\\ Bar' If you want to test try this code:
select '\a\b\c'
There is no necessity to escape the backslash character. But the issue of backslash plus newline character is a problem and Sql Server engine simply cut it out.
If you need to put a single quotation mark on the string, then you need to double the quotation mark character:
select 'test: ''in quotes'' - ok'
Hope I'd helped in some way.