SQL Server PRINT SELECT (Print a select query resu

Question

I am trying to print a selected value, is this possible?

Example:

PRINT 
    SELECT SUM(Amount) FROM Expense

Answer 1

If you want to print multiple rows, you can iterate through the result by using a cursor. e.g. print all names from sys.database_principals

DECLARE @name nvarchar(128)

DECLARE cur CURSOR FOR
SELECT name FROM sys.database_principals

OPEN cur

FETCH NEXT FROM cur INTO @name;
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN   
PRINT @name
FETCH NEXT FROM cur INTO @name;
END

CLOSE cur;
DEALLOCATE cur;

Answer 2

Try this query

DECLARE @PrintVarchar nvarchar(max) = (Select Sum(Amount) From Expense)
PRINT 'Varchar format =' + @PrintVarchar

DECLARE @PrintInt int = (Select Sum(Amount) From Expense)
PRINT @PrintInt

Answer 3

I wrote this SP to do just what you want, however, you need to use dynamic sql.

This worked for me on SQL Server 2008 R2

ALTER procedure [dbo].[PrintSQLResults] 
    @query nvarchar(MAX),
    @numberToDisplay int = 10,
    @padding int = 20
as

SET NOCOUNT ON;
SET ANSI_WARNINGS ON;

declare @cols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @displayCols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @sql nvarchar(MAX), 
        @printableResults nvarchar(MAX),
        @NewLineChar AS char(2) = char(13) + char(10),
        @Tab AS char(9) = char(9);

if exists (select * from tempdb.sys.tables where name = '##PrintSQLResultsTempTable') drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

set @query = REPLACE(@query, 'from', ' into ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable from');
--print @query
exec(@query);
select ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (select Null)) AS ID12345XYZ, * into #PrintSQLResultsTempTable 
from ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable
drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

select name
into #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
from tempdb.sys.columns where object_id =
object_id('tempdb..#PrintSQLResultsTempTable');

select @cols =
stuff((
    (select ' + space(1) + (LEFT( (CAST([' + name + '] as nvarchar(max)) + space('+ CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4)) +')), '+CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4))+')) ' as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'''''');

select @displayCols =
stuff((
    (select space(1) + LEFT(name + space(@padding), @padding) as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'');

DECLARE 
    @tableCount int = (select count(*) from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable);
DECLARE 
    @i int = 1, 
    @ii int = case when @tableCount < @numberToDisplay then @tableCount else @numberToDisplay end;

print @displayCols -- header
While @i <= @ii
BEGIN
    set @sql = N'select @printableResults = ' + @cols + ' + @NewLineChar from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable where ID12345XYZ = ' + CAST(@i as varchar(3)) + '; print @printableResults;'
    --print @sql
    execute sp_executesql @sql, N'@NewLineChar char(2), @printableResults nvarchar(max) output', @NewLineChar = @NewLineChar, @printableResults = @printableResults output
    print @printableResults
    SET @i += 1;
END

This worked for me on SQL Server 2012

ALTER procedure [dbo].[PrintSQLResults] 
    @query nvarchar(MAX),
    @numberToDisplay int = 10,
    @padding int = 20
as

SET NOCOUNT ON;
SET ANSI_WARNINGS ON;

declare @cols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @displayCols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @sql nvarchar(MAX), 
        @printableResults nvarchar(MAX),
        @NewLineChar AS char(2) = char(13) + char(10),
        @Tab AS char(9) = char(9);

if exists (select * from tempdb.sys.tables where name = '##PrintSQLResultsTempTable') drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

set @query = REPLACE(@query, 'from', ' into ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable from');
--print @query
exec(@query);
select ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (select Null)) AS ID12345XYZ, * into #PrintSQLResultsTempTable 
from ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable
drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

select name
into #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
from tempdb.sys.columns where object_id =
object_id('tempdb..#PrintSQLResultsTempTable');

select @cols =
stuff((
    (select ' + space(1) + LEFT(CAST([' + name + '] as nvarchar('+CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4))+')) + space('+ CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4)) +'), '+CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4))+') ' as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'''''');

select @displayCols =
stuff((
    (select space(1) + LEFT(name + space(@padding), @padding) as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'');

DECLARE 
    @tableCount int = (select count(*) from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable);
DECLARE 
    @i int = 1, 
    @ii int = case when @tableCount < @numberToDisplay then @tableCount else @numberToDisplay end;

print @displayCols -- header
While @i <= @ii
BEGIN
    set @sql = N'select @printableResults = ' + @cols + ' + @NewLineChar   from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable where ID12345XYZ = ' + CAST(@i as varchar(3)) + ' '
    --print @sql
    execute sp_executesql @sql, N'@NewLineChar char(2), @printableResults nvarchar(max) output', @NewLineChar = @NewLineChar, @printableResults = @printableResults output
    print @printableResults
    SET @i += 1;
END

This worked for me on SQL Server 2014

ALTER procedure [dbo].[PrintSQLResults] 
    @query nvarchar(MAX),
    @numberToDisplay int = 10,
    @padding int = 20
as

SET NOCOUNT ON;
SET ANSI_WARNINGS ON;

declare @cols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @displayCols nvarchar(MAX), 
        @sql nvarchar(MAX), 
        @printableResults nvarchar(MAX),
        @NewLineChar AS char(2) = char(13) + char(10),
        @Tab AS char(9) = char(9);

if exists (select * from tempdb.sys.tables where name = '##PrintSQLResultsTempTable') drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

set @query = REPLACE(@query, 'from', ' into ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable from');
--print @query
exec(@query);
select ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (select Null)) AS ID12345XYZ, * into #PrintSQLResultsTempTable 
from ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable
drop table ##PrintSQLResultsTempTable

select name
into #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
from tempdb.sys.columns where object_id =
object_id('tempdb..#PrintSQLResultsTempTable');

select @cols =
stuff((
    (select ' , space(1) + LEFT(CAST([' + name + '] as nvarchar('+CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4))+')) + space('+ CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4)) +'), '+CAST(@padding as nvarchar(4))+') ' as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'''''');

select @displayCols =
stuff((
    (select space(1) + LEFT(name + space(@padding), @padding) as [text()]
    FROM #PrintSQLResultsTempTableColumns
    where name != 'ID12345XYZ'
    FOR XML PATH(''), root('str'), type ).value('/str[1]','nvarchar(max)'))
,1,0,'');

DECLARE 
    @tableCount int = (select count(*) from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable);
DECLARE 
    @i int = 1, 
    @ii int = case when @tableCount < @numberToDisplay then @tableCount else @numberToDisplay end;

print @displayCols -- header
While @i <= @ii
BEGIN
    set @sql = N'select @printableResults = concat(@printableResults, ' + @cols + ', @NewLineChar) from #PrintSQLResultsTempTable where ID12345XYZ = ' + CAST(@i as varchar(3))
    --print @sql
    execute sp_executesql @sql, N'@NewLineChar char(2), @printableResults nvarchar(max) output', @NewLineChar = @NewLineChar, @printableResults = @printableResults output
    print @printableResults
    SET @printableResults = null;
    SET @i += 1;
END

Example:

exec [dbo].[PrintSQLResults] n'select * from MyTable'