If you're using SQL Server 2008, there's a new featured called a User Defined Table Type. Here is an example of how to use it:
Create your User Defined Table Type:
CREATE TYPE [dbo].[StringList] AS TABLE(
[Item] [NVARCHAR](MAX) NULL
);
Next you need to use it properly in your stored procedure:
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_UseStringList]
@list StringList READONLY
AS
BEGIN
-- Just return the items we passed in
SELECT l.Item FROM @list l;
END
Finally here's some sql to use it in c#:
using (var con = new SqlConnection(connstring))
{
con.Open();
using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("exec sp_UseStringList @list", con))
{
using (var table = new DataTable()) {
table.Columns.Add("Item", typeof(string));
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
table.Rows.Add("Item " + i.ToString());
var pList = new SqlParameter("@list", SqlDbType.Structured);
pList.TypeName = "dbo.StringList";
pList.Value = table;
cmd.Parameters.Add(pList);
using (var dr = cmd.ExecuteReader())
{
while (dr.Read())
Console.WriteLine(dr["Item"].ToString());
}
}
}
}
To execute this from SSMS
DECLARE @list AS StringList
INSERT INTO @list VALUES ('Apple')
INSERT INTO @list VALUES ('Banana')
INSERT INTO @list VALUES ('Orange')
-- Alternatively, you can populate @list with an INSERT-SELECT
INSERT INTO @list
SELECT Name FROM Fruits
EXEC sp_UseStringList @list