Find a value anywhere in a database

Question

Given a #, how do I discover in what table and column it could be found within?

I don\'t care if it\'s fast, it just needs to work.

Answer 1

I was looking for a just a numeric value = 6.84 - using the other answers here I was able to limit my search to this

Declare @sourceTable Table(id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY, table_name varchar(1000), column_name varchar(1000))
Declare @resultsTable Table(id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY, table_name varchar(1000))

Insert into @sourceTable(table_name, column_name)
select schema_name(t.schema_id) + '.' + t.name as[table], c.name as column_name
from sys.columns c
join sys.tables t
on t.object_id = c.object_id
where type_name(user_type_id) in ('decimal', 'numeric', 'smallmoney', 'money', 'float', 'real')
order by[table], c.column_id;

DECLARE db_cursor CURSOR FOR
Select table_name, column_name from @sourceTable
DECLARE @mytablename VARCHAR(1000);
DECLARE @mycolumnname VARCHAR(1000);

OPEN db_cursor;
FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @mytablename, @mycolumnname

WHILE @ @FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
    Insert into @ResultsTable(table_name)
    EXEC('SELECT ''' + @mytablename + '.' + @mycolumnname + '''  FROM ' + @mytablename + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
    ' WHERE ' + @mycolumnname + '=6.84')
    FETCH NEXT FROM db_cursor INTO @mytablename, @mycolumnname  
END;
CLOSE db_cursor;
DEALLOCATE db_cursor;
Select Distinct(table_name) from @ResultsTable