In SQL Server: when you need to loop a set of data, is there a benefit of using a SQL Server cursor. Or is using a WHILE loop (see below) just the same.
This assumes that you want to do something that cannot be done in a set-based way
I ask because the WHILE loop seems clearer and easier to understand.
-- loop through a table
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #LoopingSet;
CREATE TABLE #LoopingSet (RowID INT IDENTITY(1,1), DatabaseName sysname);
INSERT INTO #LoopingSet (DatabaseName) SELECT [name] FROM sys.databases WHERE database_id > 4 ORDER BY name;
DECLARE @i INT = (SELECT MIN(RowID) FROM #LoopingSet);
DECLARE @n INT = (SELECT MAX(RowID) FROM #LoopingSet);
DECLARE @DatabaseName sysname = '';
WHILE (@i <= @n)
BEGIN
SELECT @DatabaseName = DatabaseName FROM #LoopingSet WHERE RowID = @i;
PRINT @DatabaseName; -- do something here
SELECT @i = MIN(RowID) FROM #LoopingSet WHERE RowID > @i;
END;
I ask because the WHILE loop seems clearer and easier to understand.
Is it clearer and easier to understand?
DECLARE
@Name sysname,
@Names CURSOR,
@Rows integer;
SET @Names = CURSOR FORWARD_ONLY STATIC READ_ONLY FOR
SELECT [name]
FROM sys.databases
WHERE database_id > 4
ORDER BY [name] ASC;
OPEN @Names;
SET @Rows = @@CURSOR_ROWS;
WHILE @Rows > 0
BEGIN
FETCH NEXT FROM @Names INTO @Name;
PRINT @Name;
SET @Rows -= 1;
END;
It's a subjective question but objectively, your implementation of a cursor is a little less efficient than using the built-in facility.