SELECT multiple rows from single column into single row

Question

I want to write an SQL Server query that will retrieve data from the following example tables:

Table: Person
ID      Name
--      ----
1       Bill
2       B         


        

Answer 1

You would use FOR XML PATH for this:

select p.name,
  Stuff((SELECT ', ' + s.skillName 
         FROM skilllink l
         left join skill s
           on l.skillid = s.id 
         where p.id = l.personid
         FOR XML PATH('')),1,1,'') Skills
from person p

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

Result:

| NAME |            SKILLS |
----------------------------
| Bill | Telepathy, Karate |
|  Bob |            (null) |
|  Jim |         Carpentry |