How to copy SQL table content into INSERT INTO statements in SQL Server using SQL CLR

Most of the time during the database development stage of a specific system, programmers concerned with the different aspects of the system work all at the same time. While the Database Admin fine tunes the data structure including its constraints, metadata, relationships, views, stored procedures, the Data Access Layer Man has already started working on his end of the fence. He determines the anchor or the point of access, which table would most efficiently access all other related information. He makes sure that when data is inserted, deleted, updated then all other related information, all other related tables to that specific data are updated appropriately.

While the Data Access Layer is working on those delicate and logic intensive information, he has to have access to the database. However, the Database Admin is still working on the database itself. Since the Data Access Layer especially when done in an Entity Data Model (.NET Entity Framework) is sensitive to the stability of the information in the database, it is not wise if they were to connect to the same database.

In most business practices, the Data Access Layer team/man is given only a copy of the original database being developed. When a significant change was made to the database, he rebuilds his Entity Data Model accordingly. This is a tough job but it’s the only way to work at the same time with the DBA and therefore deliver faster. Sometimes the DAL would request the DBA to insert sample data within the database so that he may test his scripts against the database. But since they are physically connected to different databases, the DBA fixes SQL Script of Insert statements for him.

On the occasion when the DAL actually inserts his own table rows and the Web Dev man sees that there is already enough structure for him to connect his application and to test some of its units, he would need a copy of that database. It easy to script the database structure including its triggers and content to create it in a different local machine, however, when the database is already running in a different local machine and all the Web Dev needs is the rows to check if he can successfully display the table rows, let’s not waste time dropping and recreating databases.

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using System; using System.Data; using System.Data.SqlClient; using System.Data.SqlTypes; using Microsoft.SqlServer.Server; using System.Text; using System.Collections.Generic; public partial class StoredProcedures { [Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.SqlProcedure] public static void CopyContentOfTable(String tablename) { using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection("context connection=true")) { conn.Open(); SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(); cmd.Connection = conn; StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); sb.Append("SELECT column_name FROM information_schema.columns ") .Append("WHERE table_name = '").Append(tablename).Append("'"); cmd.CommandText = sb.ToString(); //List down all the colum names in the table List<String> columnames = new List<String>(); SqlDataReader reader; using (reader = cmd.ExecuteReader()) { if( reader.HasRows ) while (reader.Read()) { columnames.Add(reader["column_name"].ToString()); } } //get all data from table sb.Length = 0; sb.Append("SELECT * from ").Append(tablename); cmd.CommandText = sb.ToString(); //define needed logical objects for creating the insert statement String columnvalue = String.Empty; bool notfirstcolumn = false; bool notfirstrow = false; using (reader = cmd.ExecuteReader()) { sb.Length = 0; //Enable inserting identity, //we want to make sure that the databases are as identical as possible sb.Append("SET IDENTITY_INSERT ").Append(tablename).AppendLine(" ON;"); //you may turn off any related triggers if you wish to here... //Build our insert statements sb.Append("INSERT into ").Append(tablename).AppendLine(" ("); //list down all column names foreach( String column in columnames) { if(notfirstcolumn) sb.Append(","); else notfirstcolumn = true; sb.Append(column); } //add each row, result from the previous SELECT transaction notfirstcolumn = false; sb.AppendLine(") VALUES "); if (reader.HasRows) while (reader.Read()) { if (notfirstrow) sb.Append(","); else notfirstrow = true; sb.Append("("); foreach (String column in columnames) { if (notfirstcolumn) sb.Append(","); else notfirstcolumn = true; columnvalue = reader[column].ToString(); if (columnvalue.Equals(String.Empty)) sb.Append("NULL"); else sb.Append(columnvalue); } sb.AppendLine(")"); notfirstcolumn = false; } //re-disable indentity inserts sb.Append("SET IDENTITY_INSERT ").Append(tablename).Append(" OFF;"); } //Your insert statement will appear in the Message tab of the query window. //Copy and paste it onto the query window and run SqlContext.Pipe.Send(sb.ToString()); } } };