Using a cursor with dynamic SQL in a stored proced

Question

I have a dynamic SQL statement I've created in a stored procedure. I need to iterate over the results using a cursor. I'm having a hard time figuring out the right syntax. Here's what I'm doing.

SELECT @SQLStatement = 'SELECT userId FROM users'

DECLARE @UserId

DECLARE users_cursor CURSOR FOR
EXECUTE @SQLStatment --Fails here. Doesn't like this

OPEN users_cursor
FETCH NEXT FROM users_cursor
INTO @UserId

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN

EXEC asp_DoSomethingStoredProc @UserId

END
CLOSE users_cursor
DEALLOCATE users_cursor

What's the right way to do this?

Answer 1

After recently switching from Oracle to SQL Server (employer preference), I notice cursor support in SQL Server is lagging. Cursors are not always evil, sometimes required, sometimes much faster, and sometimes cleaner than trying to tune a complex query by re-arranging or adding optimization hints. The "cursors are evil" opinion is much more prominent in the SQL Server community.

So I guess this answer is to switch to Oracle or give MS a clue.

• Oracle EXECUTE IMMEDIATE into a cursor
• Loop through an implicit cursor (a for loop implicitly defines/opens/closes the cursor!)