SQL Server 2012: Dynamic crosstab in stored procedure - tsql

Question

Im trying to use a stored procedure to create a pivot table between two declared variables #rvar (as rowvariable) and #cvar (as columnvariable). The point is to call the stored procedure from VBA using these two as dynamic input when executing the stored procedure.
My code has three parts:
creating test-data
declaring locals
finding names of columns in crosstab an storing in new local #sql1
executing crosstable with the pivotfunction using the names stored in #sql1.
My problem: The code below works but I would like to make it dynamic regarding the variable defining the column structure - currently set to "q10_1_resp" - so that I only have to declare the local #cvar and use that in part 3 (like in part 4). I have succeeded in making part 3 into a sql-string with subsequent execution but then the column names stored in #sql1 cannot be used in the code in part 4 (I guess it is a scope thing).
--Part 1
create table [user].[test]
(rowvar nvarchar(max),
q10_1_resp int,
q10_2_resp int)
GO
INSERT [user].[test]
VALUES ('PH',1,2),
('PH',2,3),
('EA',1,5),
('EA',5,4),
('PH',3,4),
('PH',6,6),
('EA',4,1),
('PH',5,3),
('PH',2,1)
GO
-- Part 2
declare #rvar as nvarchar(max) = 'rowvar'
declare #cvar as nvarchar(max) = 'q10_1_resp' --this input should be dynamic as well
declare #sql1 as nvarchar(max)= ''
declare #sql2 as nvarchar(max)= ''
-- Part 3
select #sql1 = #sql1 + [a].[col] + char(44)
from
(select distinct QUOTENAME(q10_1_resp) as [col]
from [user].[test]
group by q10_1_resp) as a
SET #sql1 = left(#sql1, len(#sql1) - 1)
-- Part 4
SET #sql2 = 'select ' +
+ #rvar + ','
+ #sql1
+ ' from (Select '
+ #rvar + ', '
+ #cvar
+ ' from [user].[test]) sq pivot(count('
+ #cvar
+ ') for '
+ #cvar + ' IN ('
+ #sql1
+ ')) as pt'
exec sp_executesql #sql2

Answer 1

After a great deal of trying to globalize the scalarvariable without success using a temporary table to store the string was the key. The temporary table created at the beginning of the stored procedure can be assigned and referenced the entire time of the procedure. Thus assigning within execution of #sql and then referencing the string at execution of #sql2. I hope it makes sense.
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_crosstab]
-- Add the parameters for the stored procedure here
#rvar nvarchar(max) = '',
#cvar nvarchar(max) = '',
#data nvarchar(max) = '',
#sql nvarchar(max) = '',
#sql2 nvarchar(max) = '',
#sql3 nvarchar(max)=''
AS
BEGIN
-- SET NOCOUNT ON added to prevent extra result sets from
-- interfering with SELECT statements.
SET NOCOUNT ON;
create table #temp_crosstab
(
sqlstr nvarchar(max)
)
set #sql ='
declare #sql1 nvarchar(max) = char(00)
select #sql1 = #sql1 + [a].[col] + char(44)
from
(select distinct QUOTENAME(' + #cvar + ') as [col]
from ' + #data + '
group by ' + #cvar + ') as a
SET #sql1 = left(#sql1, len(#sql1) - 1)
insert into #temp_crosstab values (#sql1)'
execute sp_executesql #sql
select #sql3 = [sqlstr] from #temp_crosstab
set #sql2 = '
select ' + #rvar + char(44) +
#sql3 + 'from (Select '
+ #rvar + char(44) + ' '
+ #cvar
+ ' from ' + #data + ') sq pivot(count('
+ #cvar
+ ') for '
+ #cvar + ' IN ('+#sql3+')) as pt'
exec sp_executesql #sql2
END
GO