Counting the number of rows returned by stored procedure

Question

How do I count the number of rows a stored procedure would return the fastest way. Stored procedure returns rows around 100K to 1M records.

Answer 1

Select @@rowcount:

SELECT @@ROWCOUNT;

After executing the stored procedure.

Answer 2

So far the only thing that has worked for me is to:

a. Modify momentarily the stored procedure to dump the resulting dataset into a table. If changing the stored procedure is not an option replace Alter Procedure with Declare and remove the end, provide parameter values if not optional and execute as a query dumping the dataset into a table.

b. Script the table and drop it using SSMS.

c. Use the script to create a virtual table in the query and use Insert into with exec stored procedure to populate it.

d. Count the records.

Answer 3

I have a similar task with a restriction that I must not alter the SP to get the count. Hence:

sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;  
reconfigure;
go

sp_configure 'ad hoc distributed queries', 1;  
reconfigure;  
go

select count(*) from 
    openrowset('SQLOLEDB','Data Source=localhost;Trusted_Connection=yes;
    Integrated Security=SSPI','exec DBNAME..SPName')

Answer 4

Another way to get the same result

CREATE PROCEDURE NOMBRE_PROCEDIMIENTO
   as
BEGIN
   if EXISTS (SELECT * from NOMBRE_TABLA WHERE CONDITIONS HERE)
     BEGIN
       SELECT @@ROWCOUNT
     END
END

Answer 5

You can define output variable:

create procedure x
    (@p1 int output)
as
    select @p1 = count(*) 
    from Table

Answer 6

The answer is to use @@ROWCOUNT is still valid, but I would not recommend to run in directly after EXEC like on existing answer.

SELECT statement is not always the last statement is stored procedure or you could have multiple SELECT statements:

Scenario:

CREATE PROCEDURE p
AS
BEGIN
  CREATE TABLE #t(i INT);
  INSERT INTO #t(i) VALUES (1),(2);
  SELECT i FROM #t;
  DROP TABLE IF EXISTS t;
END

EXEC p;
-- i
-- 1
-- 2

SELECT @@ROWCOUNT;
-- 0 instead of 2

db<>fiddle demo

---

One way is to use output parameter(as many as stored procedure resultset):

CREATE PROCEDURE p(@cnt INT OUT)
AS
BEGIN
  CREATE TABLE #t(i INT);
  INSERT INTO #t(i) VALUES (1),(2);
  SELECT i FROM #t;
  SET @cnt = @@ROWCOUNT;  -- immediately after SELECT
  DROP TABLE IF EXISTS t;
END

DECLARE @i INT;
EXEC p2 @cnt = @i OUT;
SELECT @i;
-- 2

db<>fiddle demo