SQL server stored procedure return a table

Question

I have a stored procedure that takes in two parameters. I can execute it successfully in Server Management Studio. It shows me the results which are as I expect. However it

Answer 1

A procedure can't return a table as such. However you can select from a table in a procedure and direct it into a table (or table variable) like this:

create procedure p_x
as
begin
declare @t table(col1 varchar(10), col2 float, col3 float, col4 float)
insert @t values('a', 1,1,1)
insert @t values('b', 2,2,2)

select * from @t
end
go

declare @t table(col1 varchar(10), col2 float, col3 float, col4 float)
insert @t
exec p_x

select * from @t

Answer 2

I had a similar situation and solved by using a temp table inside the procedure, with the same fields being returned by the original Stored Procedure:

CREATE PROCEDURE mynewstoredprocedure
AS 
BEGIN

INSERT INTO temptable (field1, field2)
EXEC mystoredprocedure @param1, @param2

select field1, field2 from temptable

-- (mystoredprocedure returns field1, field2)

END

Answer 3

Here's an example of a SP that both returns a table and a return value. I don't know if you need the return the "Return Value" and I have no idea about MATLAB and what it requires.

CREATE PROCEDURE test
AS 
BEGIN

    SELECT * FROM sys.databases

    RETURN 27
END

--Use this to test
DECLARE @returnval int

EXEC @returnval = test 

SELECT @returnval

Answer 4

I do this frequently using Table Types to ensure more consistency and simplify code. You can't technically return "a table", but you can return a result set and using INSERT INTO .. EXEC ... syntax, you can clearly call a PROC and store the results into a table type. In the following example I'm actually passing a table into a PROC along with another param I need to add logic, then I'm effectively "returning a table" and can then work with that as a table variable.

/****** Check if my table type and/or proc exists and drop them ******/
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE type = 'P' AND name = 'returnTableTypeData')
DROP PROCEDURE returnTableTypeData
GO
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.types WHERE is_table_type = 1 AND name = 'myTableType')
DROP TYPE myTableType
GO

/****** Create the type that I'll pass into the proc and return from it ******/
CREATE TYPE [dbo].[myTableType] AS TABLE(
    [someInt] [int] NULL,
    [somenVarChar] [nvarchar](100) NULL
)
GO

CREATE PROC returnTableTypeData
    @someInputInt INT,
    @myInputTable myTableType READONLY --Must be readonly because
AS
BEGIN

    --Return the subset of data consistent with the type
    SELECT
        *
    FROM
        @myInputTable
    WHERE
        someInt < @someInputInt

END
GO


DECLARE @myInputTableOrig myTableType
DECLARE @myUpdatedTable myTableType

INSERT INTO @myInputTableOrig ( someInt,somenVarChar )
VALUES ( 0, N'Value 0' ), ( 1, N'Value 1' ), ( 2, N'Value 2' )

INSERT INTO @myUpdatedTable EXEC returnTableTypeData @someInputInt=1, @myInputTable=@myInputTableOrig

SELECT * FROM @myUpdatedTable


DROP PROCEDURE returnTableTypeData
GO
DROP TYPE myTableType
GO

Answer 5

Though this question is very old but as a new in Software Development I can't stop my self to share what I have learnt :D

Creation of Stored Procedure:

CREAET PROC usp_ValidateUSer
(
    @UserName nVARCHAR(50),
    @Password nVARCHAR(50)
)
AS

BEGIN
    IF EXISTS(SELECT '#' FROM Users WHERE Username=@UserName AND Password=@Password)
    BEGIN
        SELECT u.UserId, u.Username, r.UserRole
        FROM Users u
        INNER JOIN UserRoles r
        ON u.UserRoleId=r.UserRoleId
    END
END

Execution of Stored Procedure:

(If you want to test the execution of Stored Procedure in SQL)

EXEC usp_ValidateUSer @UserName='admin', @Password='admin'

Th Output:

Answer 6

The Status Value being returned by a Stored Procedure can only be an INT datatype. You cannot return other datatypes in the RETURN statement.

From Lesson 2: Designing Stored Procedures:

Every stored procedure can return an integer value known as the execution status value or return code.

If you still want a table returned from the SP, you'll either have to work the record set returned from a SELECT within the SP or tie into an OUTPUT variable that passes an XML datatype.

HTH,

John