ListAGG in SQLSERVER

Question

I\'m trying to aggregate a \'STRING\' field in SQLServer. I would like to find the same function LISTAGG like in Oracle .

Do you know how to do the same function or

Answer 1

Starting in SQL Server 2017 the STRING_AGG function is available which simplifies the logic considerably:

select FieldA, string_agg(FieldB, '') as data
from yourtable
group by FieldA

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

In SQL Server you can use FOR XML PATH to get the result:

select distinct t1.FieldA,
  STUFF((SELECT distinct '' + t2.FieldB
         from yourtable t2
         where t1.FieldA = t2.FieldA
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
            ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)') 
        ,1,0,'') data
from yourtable t1;

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

Answer 2

In SQL Server 2017 STRING_AGG is added:

SELECT t.name,STRING_AGG (c.name, ',') AS csv
FROM sys.tables t
JOIN sys.columns c on t.object_id = c.object_id
GROUP BY t.name
ORDER BY 1

Also, STRING_SPLIT is usefull for the opposite case and available in SQL Server 2016

Answer 3

MySQL

SELECT FieldA
     , GROUP_CONCAT(FieldB ORDER BY FieldB SEPARATOR ',') AS FieldBs
  FROM TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

Oracle & DB2

SELECT FieldA
     , LISTAGG(FieldB, ',') WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY FieldB) AS FieldBs
  FROM TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

PostgreSQL

SELECT FieldA
     , STRING_AGG(FieldB, ',' ORDER BY FieldB) AS FieldBs
  FROM TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

SQL Server

SQL Server ≥ 2017 & Azure SQL

SELECT FieldA
     , STRING_AGG(FieldB, ',') WITHIN GROUP (ORDER BY FieldB) AS FieldBs
  FROM TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

SQL Server ≤ 2016 (CTE included to encourage the DRY principle)

  WITH CTE_TableName AS (
       SELECT FieldA, FieldB
         FROM TableName)
SELECT t0.FieldA
     , STUFF((
       SELECT ',' + t1.FieldB
         FROM CTE_TableName t1
        WHERE t1.FieldA = t0.FieldA
        ORDER BY t1.FieldB
          FOR XML PATH('')), 1, LEN(','), '') AS FieldBs
  FROM CTE_TableName t0
 GROUP BY t0.FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

SQLite

Ordering requires a CTE or subquery

  WITH CTE_TableName AS (
       SELECT FieldA, FieldB
         FROM TableName
        ORDER BY FieldA, FieldB)
SELECT FieldA
     , GROUP_CONCAT(FieldB, ',') AS FieldBs
  FROM CTE_TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

Without ordering

SELECT FieldA
     , GROUP_CONCAT(FieldB, ',') AS FieldBs
  FROM TableName
 GROUP BY FieldA
 ORDER BY FieldA;

Answer 4

This might be useful to someone also ..

i.e. For a data analyst and data profiling type of purposes ..(i.e. not grouped by) ..

Prior to the SQL*Server 2017 String_agg function existence ..

(i.e. returns just one row ..)

select distinct
SUBSTRING (
stuff(( select distinct ',' + [FieldB] from tablename order by 1 FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)') 
,1,0,'' ) 
,2,9999)
from 
    tablename 

e.g. returns comma separated values A,B