MS SQL

Cursors in SQL procedures

In SQL procedures, a cursor make it possible to define a result set (a set of data rows) and perform complex logic on a row by row basis. By using the same mechanics, an SQL procedure can also define a result set and return it directly to the caller of the SQL procedure or to a client application.

A cursor can be viewed as a pointer to one row in a set of rows. The cursor can only reference one row at a time, but can move to other rows of the result set as needed.

To use cursors in SQL procedures, you need to do the following:

1. Declare a cursor that defines a result set.
2. Open the cursor to establish the result set.
3. Fetch the data into local variables as needed from the cursor, one row at a time.
4. Close the cursor when done

To work with cursors you must use the following SQL statements:

• DECLARE CURSOR
• OPEN
• FETCH
• CLOSE

Simple Example of Cursor using AdventureWorks Database is listed here.


USE AdventureWorks
GO
DECLARE @ProductID INT
DECLARE @getProductID CURSOR
SET @getProductID = CURSOR FOR
SELECT ProductID
FROM Production.Product
OPEN @getProductID
FETCH NEXT
FROM @getProductID INTO @ProductID
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
PRINT @ProductID
FETCH NEXT
FROM @getProductID INTO @ProductID
END
CLOSE @getProductID
DEALLOCATE @getProductID
GO

SQL Server Cursor Components

Based on the example above, cursors include these components:

• DECLARE statements - Declare variables used in the code block
• SET\SELECT statements - Initialize the variables to a specific value
• DECLARE CURSOR statement - Populate the cursor with values that will be evaluated
  
  • NOTE - There are an equal number of variables in the DECLARE <cursor_name> CURSOR FOR statement as there are in the SELECT statement.  This could be 1 or many variables and associated columns.
• OPEN statement - Open the cursor to begin data processing
• FETCH NEXT statements - Assign the specific values from the cursor to the variables
  
  • NOTE - This logic is used for the initial population before the WHILE statement and then again during each loop in the process as a portion of the WHILE statement
• WHILE statement - Condition to begin and continue data processing
• BEGIN...END statement - Start and end of the code block
  
  • NOTE - Based on the data processing multiple BEGIN...END statements can be used
• Data processing - In this example, this logic is to backup a database to a specific path and file name, but this could be just about any DML or administrative logic
• CLOSE statement - Releases the current data and associated locks, but permits the cursor to be re-opened
• DEALLOCATE statement - Destroys the cursor