Saturday, 22 June 2024

How to search for a string in a database in Microsoft SQL

Use the following query to find a string or value in the entire database, regardless of whether you know the table name.


DECLARE
@search_string  VARCHAR(100),
@table_name     SYSNAME,
@table_id       INT,
@column_name    SYSNAME,
@sql_string     VARCHAR(2000)

SET @search_string = '8907595018255'


DECLARE tables_cur CURSOR FOR SELECT name, object_id FROM sys.objects WHERE  type = 'U'

OPEN tables_cur

FETCH NEXT FROM tables_cur INTO @table_name, @table_id

WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN
    DECLARE columns_cur CURSOR FOR SELECT name FROM sys.columns WHERE object_id = @table_id
        AND system_type_id IN (167, 175, 231, 239)

    OPEN columns_cur

    FETCH NEXT FROM columns_cur INTO @column_name
        WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
        BEGIN
            SET @sql_string = 'IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM ' + @table_name + ' WHERE [' + @column_name + ']
            LIKE ''%' + @search_string + '%'') PRINT ''' + @table_name + ', ' + @column_name + ''''

            EXECUTE(@sql_string)

        FETCH NEXT FROM columns_cur INTO @column_name
        END

    CLOSE columns_cur

DEALLOCATE columns_cur

FETCH NEXT FROM tables_cur INTO @table_name, @table_id
END

CLOSE tables_cur
DEALLOCATE tables_cur