I've been dealing with a very similar problem and have been able to achieve what I was looking for, even though I'm using SQL Server 2000. I know it is an old question, but think its valid to post here the solution since there should be others like me that use old versions and still need help.
Here's the trick: SQL Server won't accept passing a table to a UDF, nor you can pass a T-SQL query so the function creates a temp table or even calls a stored procedure to do that. So, instead, I've created a reserved table, which I called xtList. This will hold the list of values (1 column, as needed) to work with.
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[xtList](
[List] [varchar](1000) NULL
) ON [PRIMARY]
Then, a stored procedure to populate the list. This is not strictly necessary, but I think is very usefull and best practice.
-- =============================================
-- Author: Zark Khullah
-- Create date: 20/06/2014
-- =============================================
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[xpCreateList]
@ListQuery varchar(2000)
AS
BEGIN
SET NOCOUNT ON;
DELETE FROM xtList
INSERT INTO xtList
EXEC(@ListQuery)
END
Now, just deal with the list in any way you want, using the xtList. You can use in a procedure (for executing several T-SQL commands), scalar functions (for retrieving several strings) or multi-statement table-valued functions (retrieves the strings but like it was inside a table, 1 string per row). For any of that, you'll need cursors:
DECLARE @Item varchar(100)
DECLARE cList CURSOR DYNAMIC
FOR (SELECT * FROM xtList WHERE List is not NULL)
OPEN cList
FETCH FIRST FROM cList INTO @Item
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN
<< desired action with values >>
FETCH NEXT FROM cList INTO @Item
END
CLOSE cList
DEALLOCATE cList
The desired action would be as follows, depending on which type of object created:
Stored procedures
-- =============================================
-- Author: Zark Khullah
-- Create date: 20/06/2014
-- =============================================
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[xpProcreateExec]
(
@Cmd varchar(8000),
@ReplaceWith varchar(1000)
)
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @Query varchar(8000)
<< cursor start >>
SET @Query = REPLACE(@Cmd,@ReplaceWith,@Item)
EXEC(@Query)
<< cursor end >>
END
/* EXAMPLES
(List A,B,C)
Query = 'SELECT x FROM table'
with EXEC xpProcreateExec(Query,'x') turns into
SELECT A FROM table
SELECT B FROM table
SELECT C FROM table
Cmd = 'EXEC procedure ''arg''' --whatchout for wrong quotes, since it executes as dynamic SQL
with EXEC xpProcreateExec(Cmd,'arg') turns into
EXEC procedure 'A'
EXEC procedure 'B'
EXEC procedure 'C'
*/
Scalar functions
-- =============================================
-- Author: Zark Khullah
-- Create date: 20/06/2014
-- =============================================
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[xfProcreateStr]
(
@OriginalText varchar(8000),
@ReplaceWith varchar(1000)
)
RETURNS varchar(8000)
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @Result varchar(8000)
SET @Result = ''
<< cursor start >>
SET @Result = @Result + REPLACE(@OriginalText,@ReplaceWith,@Item) + char(13) + char(10)
<< cursor end >>
RETURN @Result
END
/* EXAMPLE
(List A,B,C)
Text = 'Access provided for user x'
with "SELECT dbo.xfProcreateStr(Text,'x')" turns into
'Access provided for user A
Access provided for user B
Access provided for user C'
*/
Multi-statement table-valued functions
-- =============================================
-- Author: Zark Khullah
-- Create date: 20/06/2014
-- =============================================
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[xfProcreateInRows]
(
@OriginalText varchar(8000),
@ReplaceWith varchar(1000)
)
RETURNS
@Texts TABLE
(
Text varchar(2000)
)
AS
BEGIN
<< cursor start >>
INSERT INTO @Texts VALUES(REPLACE(@OriginalText,@ReplaceWith,@Item))
<< cursor end >>
END
/* EXAMPLE
(List A,B,C)
Text = 'Access provided for user x'
with "SELECT * FROM dbo.xfProcreateInRow(Text,'x')" returns rows
'Access provided for user A'
'Access provided for user B'
'Access provided for user C'
*/