Do while loop in SQL Server 2008

Question

Is there any method for implement do while loop in SQL server 2008

User · Accepted Answer

I am not sure about DO-WHILE IN MS SQL Server 2008 but you can change your WHILE loop logic, so as to USE like DO-WHILE loop.

Examples are taken from here: http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2007/10/24/sql-server-simple-example-of-while-loop-with-continue-and-break-keywords/

Example of WHILE Loop

DECLARE @intFlag INT
SET @intFlag = 1
WHILE (@intFlag <=5)
BEGIN
    PRINT @intFlag
    SET @intFlag = @intFlag + 1
END
GO

ResultSet:

Example of WHILE Loop with BREAK keyword

DECLARE @intFlag INT
SET @intFlag = 1
WHILE (@intFlag <=5)
BEGIN
    PRINT @intFlag
    SET @intFlag = @intFlag + 1
    IF @intFlag = 4
        BREAK;
END
GO

ResultSet:

1
2
3

Example of WHILE Loop with CONTINUE and BREAK keywords

DECLARE @intFlag INT
SET @intFlag = 1
WHILE (@intFlag <=5)
BEGIN
    PRINT @intFlag
    SET @intFlag = @intFlag + 1
    CONTINUE;
    IF @intFlag = 4 -- This will never executed
        BREAK;
END
GO

ResultSet:

But try to avoid loops at database level. Reference.

User · Answer

You can also use an exit variable if you want your code to be a bit more readable   DECLARE  Flag int   0 DECLARE  Done bit   0  WHILE  Done   0 BEGIN     SET  Flag    Flag   1     PRINT  Flag     IF  Flag  gt   5 SET  Done   1 END   This would probably be more relevant when you have a more complicated loop and are trying to keep track of the logic  As stated loops are expensive so try and use other methods if you can

User · Answer

If you are not very offended by the GOTO keyword  it can be used to simulate a DO   WHILE in T-SQL  Consider the following rather nonsensical example written in pseudocode   SET I 1 DO  PRINT I  SET I I 1 WHILE I lt  10   Here is the equivalent T-SQL code using goto   DECLARE  I INT 1  START                 -- DO   PRINT  I    SET  I  1  IF  I lt  10 GOTO START  -- WHILE  I lt  10   Notice the one to one mapping between the GOTO enabled solution and the original DO   WHILE pseudocode  A similar implementation using a WHILE loop would look like   DECLARE  I INT 1  WHILE  1 1               -- DO  BEGIN   PRINT  I    SET  I  1    IF NOT   I lt  10  BREAK  -- WHILE  I lt  10  END   Now  you could of course rewrite this particular example as a simple WHILE loop  since this is not such a good candidate for a DO   WHILE construct  The emphasis was on example brevity rather than applicability  since legitimate cases requiring a DO   WHILE are rare     REPEAT   UNTIL  anyone  does NOT work in T-SQL    SET I 1 REPEAT   PRINT I   SET I I 1 UNTIL I gt 10       and the GOTO based solution in T-SQL   DECLARE  I INT 1  START                     -- REPEAT   PRINT  I    SET  I  1  IF NOT  I gt 10  GOTO START  -- UNTIL  I gt 10   Through creative use of GOTO and logic inversion via the NOT keyword  there is a very close relationship between the original pseudocode and the GOTO based solution  A similar solution using a WHILE loop looks like   DECLARE  I INT 1  WHILE  1 1        -- REPEAT  BEGIN   PRINT  I    SET  I  1    IF  I gt 10 BREAK  -- UNTIL  I gt 10  END   An argument can be made that for the case of the REPEAT   UNTIL  the WHILE based solution is simpler  because the if condition is not inverted  On the other hand it is also more verbose   If it wasn t for all of the disdain around the use of GOTO  these might even be idiomatic solutions for those few times when these particular  evil  looping constructs are necessary in T-SQL code for the sake of clarity   Use these at your own discretion  trying not to suffer the wrath of your fellow developers when they catch you using the much maligned GOTO

User · Answer

I seem to recall reading this article more than once  and the answer is only close to what I need   Usually when I think I m going to need a DO WHILE in T-SQL it s because I m iterating a cursor  and I m looking largely for optimal clarity  vs  optimal speed   In T-SQL that seems to fit a WHILE TRUE   IF BREAK   If that s the scenario that brought you here  this snippet may save you a moment  Otherwise  welcome back  me  Now I can be certain I ve been here more than once      DECLARE Id INT   Title VARCHAR 50  DECLARE Iterator CURSOR FORWARD ONLY FOR SELECT Id  Title FROM dbo SourceTable OPEN Iterator WHILE 1 1 BEGIN     FETCH NEXT FROM  InputTable INTO  Id   Title     IF   FETCH STATUS  lt  0 BREAK     PRINT  Do something with      Title END CLOSE Iterator DEALLOCATE Iterator   Unfortunately  T-SQL doesn t seem to offer a cleaner way to singly-define the loop operation  than this infinite loop

User · Answer

Only While Loop is officially supported by SQL server  Already there is answer for DO while loop  I am detailing answer on ways to achieve different types of loops in SQL server   If you know  you need to complete first iteration of loop anyway  then you can try DO  WHILE or REPEAT  UNTIL version of SQL server   DO  WHILE Loop  DECLARE  X INT 1   WAY   -- gt  Here the  DO statement    PRINT  X     SET  X    1   IF  X lt  10 GOTO WAY    REPEAT  UNTIL Loop  DECLARE  X INT   1   WAY   -- Here the REPEAT statement    PRINT  X     SET  X    1   IFNOT  X  gt  10  GOTO WAY    FOR Loop  DECLARE  cnt INT   0   WHILE  cnt  lt  10 BEGIN    PRINT  Inside FOR LOOP      SET  cnt    cnt   1  END   PRINT  Done FOR LOOP     Reference

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