I'm not sure what you mean by "assign a string to a column name". Do you mean you want to dynamically select the columns based on a parameter? For example:

If @parameter = 'Jack'

Begin

Set @column_name = 'FirstName'

End

Else

Begin

Set @column_name = 'LastName'

End

Select

@column_name

From

table1

If this is what you want to do, you need to use dynamic SQL like this:

Declare @sql varchar(8000)

Set @sql = 'Select '

If @parameter = 'Jack'

Begin

Set @sql = @sql + 'FirstName '

End

Else

Begin

Set @sql = @sql + 'LastName '

End

Set @sql = @sql + 'From table1'

Exec (@sql)

Have never really used Break and Continue in SQL Server. Look them up in Books on Line. I do know that if you do the Break within the cursor loop it will stop iterating through the cursor when you hit it.

Best Practices in SQL Server are to use cursors as little as possible as they are more resource intensive and slower than set-based solutions. If you were to post what you need to accomplish with the table schemas and some data someone may be able help you find a better solution than the cursor.

See this article, http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for advice on posting that will allow for fast and accurate anwers.