T-SQL: Parsing String with Multiple delimiters - tsql

Question

I need to be able to query a SharePoint database for survey results. The type of data I'm having problems with is a "Rating Scale" value. So the data in each table column represents a whole group of sub-questions and their answers.
So the following is an example of what is found in ONE column:
1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#3#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA's);#3#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#4#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#4#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA's) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#4#
The Questions end with a semi-colon and their answers are inside the two # signs. So the answer to the first question is 3.
When I export the results of the survey it formats each question as a column header and the answer as the value in the cell below, which is ideal to get an average for each question, and would love to be able to replicate that from a SQL query.
But if I could get query results into two columns (Question, Answer)...I'd be thrilled with that.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks very much
Hank Stallings
*****ADDENDUM:**
This was my version of astander's solution...THANKS again!
DECLARE #Table TABLE(
QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
QA VARCHAR(5000)
)
DECLARE #ReturnTable TABLE(
QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
Question VARCHAR(5000),
Answer int
)
DECLARE #XmlField XML,
#QuestionSource VARCHAR(50)
INSERT INTO #Table SELECT
'Availability' AS QuestionSource,CONVERT(varchar(5000),ntext1) FROM UserData WHERE tp_ContentType = 'My Survey'
INSERT INTO #Table SELECT
'Capacity' AS QuestionSource,CONVERT(varchar(5000),ntext2) FROM UserData WHERE tp_ContentType = 'My Survey'
--SELECT * FROM #Table
DECLARE Cur CURSOR FOR
SELECT QuestionSource,
CAST(Val AS XML) XmlVal
FROM (
SELECT QuestionSource,
LEFT(Vals, LEN(Vals) - LEN('<option><q>')) Val
FROM (
SELECT QuestionSource,
'<option><q>' + REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(QA,'&','&'), ';#','</q><a>'), '#', '</a></option><option><q>') Vals
FROM #Table
) sub
) sub
OPEN Cur
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO #QuestionSource,#XmlField
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #ReturnTable
SELECT #QuestionSource,
T.split.query('q').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') question,
T.split.query('a').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') answer
FROM #XmlField.nodes('/option') T(split)
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO #QuestionSource,#XmlField
END
CLOSE Cur
DEALLOCATE Cur
SELECT * FROM #ReturnTable

Answer 1

You have to have a split function set up, but once you have it, try this cursor free solution:
I prefer the number table approach to split a string in TSQL
For this method to work, you need to do this one time table setup:
SELECT TOP 10000 IDENTITY(int,1,1) AS Number
INTO Numbers
FROM sys.objects s1
CROSS JOIN sys.objects s2
ALTER TABLE Numbers ADD CONSTRAINT PK_Numbers PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (Number)
Once the Numbers table is set up, create this split function, which WILL return empty strings and row numbers:
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[FN_ListToTableRows]
(
#SplitOn char(1) --REQUIRED, the character to split the #List string on
,#List varchar(8000)--REQUIRED, the list to split apart
)
RETURNS TABLE
AS
RETURN
(
----------------
--SINGLE QUERY-- --this WILL return empty rows
----------------
SELECT
ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY number) AS RowNumber
,LTRIM(RTRIM(SUBSTRING(ListValue, number+1, CHARINDEX(#SplitOn, ListValue, number+1)-number - 1))) AS ListValue
FROM (
SELECT #SplitOn + #List + #SplitOn AS ListValue
) AS InnerQuery
INNER JOIN Numbers n ON n.Number < LEN(InnerQuery.ListValue)
WHERE SUBSTRING(ListValue, number, 1) = #SplitOn
);
GO
You can now easily split a CSV string into a table and join on it, NOTE this split function returns empty strings and row numbers:
select * from dbo.FN_ListToTableRows(',','1,2,3,,,4,5,6777,,,')
OUTPUT:
RowNumber ListValue
-------------------- ------------
1 1
2 2
3 3
4
5
6 4
7 5
8 6777
9
10
11
(11 row(s) affected)
Your can now use a CROSS APPLY to split every row in your table like:
DECLARE #YourTable table (RowID int, RowValue varchar(8000))
INSERT INTO #YourTable VALUES (1,'1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#3#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA''s);#3#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#4#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#4#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA''s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#4#')
INSERT INTO #YourTable VALUES (2,'1. one;#1#2. two;#2#3. three;#3#')
INSERT INTO #YourTable VALUES (3,'1. aaa;#1#2. bbb;#2#3. ccc;#3#')
;WITH AllRows As
(
SELECT
o.RowID,st.RowNumber,st.ListValue AS RowValue
FROM #YourTable o
CROSS APPLY dbo.FN_ListToTableRows('#',LEFT(o.RowValue,LEN(o.RowValue)-1)) AS st
)
SELECT
a.RowID,a.RowValue AS Question, b.RowValue AS Answer
FROM AllRows a
LEFT OUTER JOIN AllRows b ON a.RowID=b.RowID AND a.RowNumber+1=b.RowNumber
WHERE a.RowNumber % 2 = 1
OUTPUT:
RowID Question Answer
----------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------
1 1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production; 3
1 2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA's); 3
1 3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches; 4
1 4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data; 4
1 5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data; 4
1 6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA's) guide our interaction with other internal teams; 4
2 1. one; 1
2 2. two; 2
2 3. three; 3
3 1. aaa; 1
3 2. bbb; 2
3 3. ccc; 3
(12 row(s) affected)

Answer 2

OK, let see. I had to use a cursor, as this would probably have been better achieved from a programming language like C#, but here goes... Using Sql Server 2005, try the following. Let me know if you need any explanations.
DECLARE #Table TABLE(
QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
QA VARCHAR(1000)
)
DECLARE #ReturnTable TABLE(
QuestionSource VARCHAR(50),
Question VARCHAR(1000),
Answer VARCHAR(10)
)
DECLARE #XmlField XML,
#QuestionSource VARCHAR(40)
INSERT INTO #Table SELECT
'Availability','1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#3#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA''s);#3#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#4#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#4#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA''s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#4#'
INSERT INTO #Table SELECT
'Capacity', '1. Our function has defined how Availability is measured the hardware/software in Production;#1#2. Availability threshold levels exist for our function (e.g., SLA''s);#2#3. Our function follows a defined process when there are threshold breaches;#3#4. Our function collects and maintains Availability data;#4#5. Comparative analysis helps identify trending with the Availability data;#5#6. Operating Level Agreements (OLA''s) guide our interaction with other internal teams;#6#'
DECLARE Cur CURSOR FOR
SELECT QuestionSource,
CAST(Val AS XML) XmlVal
FROM (
SELECT QuestionSource,
LEFT(Vals, LEN(Vals) - LEN('<option><q>')) Val
FROM (
SELECT QuestionSource,
'<option><q>' + REPLACE(REPLACE(QA, ';#','</q><a>'), '#', '</a></option><option><q>') Vals
FROM #Table
) sub
) sub
OPEN Cur
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO #QuestionSource, #XmlField
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
INSERT INTO #ReturnTable
SELECT #QuestionSource,
T.split.query('q').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') question,
T.split.query('a').value('.', 'nvarchar(max)') answer
FROM #XmlField.nodes('/option') T(split)
FETCH NEXT FROM Cur INTO #QuestionSource, #XmlField
END
CLOSE Cur
DEALLOCATE Cur
SELECT *
FROM #ReturnTable