Search all columns of a table for a value?

Question

I\'ve looked for an answer to this, but all I can find is people asking how to search all columns of ALL tables in a database for a value. I just want to search all columns

Answer 1

I have come across this issue, normally after uploading data from a CSV file where I had to modify the commas ',' in text fields so the data would load properly & once in SQL Server, the need comes to change the modified character back to a comma & it's helpful to be able to search the entire table. Greg Robidoux at mssqltips has posted a Stored Procedure that does just this, searches the Columns of a specified Table for a particular String value. You can find it along with a SPROC that does not use the cursor & more details here:

https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/1522/searching-and-finding-a-string-value-in-all-columns-in-a-sql-server-table/

I have posted the original SPROC below:

USE master 
GO 

CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.sp_FindStringInTable @stringToFind VARCHAR(100), @schema sysname, @table sysname 
AS 

DECLARE @sqlCommand VARCHAR(8000) 
DECLARE @where VARCHAR(8000) 
DECLARE @columnName sysname 
DECLARE @cursor VARCHAR(8000) 

BEGIN TRY 
   SET @sqlCommand = 'SELECT * FROM [' + @schema + '].[' + @table + '] WHERE' 
   SET @where = '' 

   SET @cursor = 'DECLARE col_cursor CURSOR FOR SELECT COLUMN_NAME 
   FROM ' + DB_NAME() + '.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS 
   WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = ''' + @schema + ''' 
   AND TABLE_NAME = ''' + @table + ''' 
   AND DATA_TYPE IN (''char'',''nchar'',''ntext'',''nvarchar'',''text'',''varchar'')' 

   EXEC (@cursor) 

   OPEN col_cursor    
   FETCH NEXT FROM col_cursor INTO @columnName    

   WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0    
   BEGIN    
       IF @where <> '' 
           SET @where = @where + ' OR' 

       SET @where = @where + ' [' + @columnName + '] LIKE ''' + @stringToFind + '''' 
       FETCH NEXT FROM col_cursor INTO @columnName    
   END    

   CLOSE col_cursor    
   DEALLOCATE col_cursor  

   SET @sqlCommand = @sqlCommand + @where 
   PRINT @sqlCommand 
   EXEC (@sqlCommand)  
END TRY 
BEGIN CATCH 
   PRINT 'There was an error. Check to make sure object exists.'
   PRINT error_message()

   IF CURSOR_STATUS('variable', 'col_cursor') <> -3 
   BEGIN 
       CLOSE col_cursor    
       DEALLOCATE col_cursor  
   END 
END CATCH