Since you insist...

declare @ColumnDesc table (ID int, ColumnList varchar(4000))

Insert into @ColumnDesc

Select 1,'Select A.Eno,B.Salary,C.Dept from Emp A,Payroll B,Department C'

Union All Select...

Another option and my preference is...

DECLARE @Rows TABLE (RowNumber INT IDENTITY(1, 1), Col1 VARCHAR(10))

INSERT @Rows SELECT 'B' UNION ALL SELECT 'A' UNION ALL SELECT 'D'

SELECT a.Col1, a.[Val 1]

FROM @Table a...

You can do this...

ORDER BY CASE WHEN 'B' THEN 1 WHEN 'A' THEN 2...

This is a lot easier in SQL 2005 since you can use 'cross apply'. In SQL 2000, I think you will have to loop through your rows using a while...

Another way...

SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS where TABLE_NAME = 'MyTable'

You could also consider using a computed column directly on the table...

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/User-Defined+functions/complexcomputedcolumns/2397/

@sql starts off as null, and you keep appending to it - which will always give null. You need to set @sql...

DECLARE @Count int

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(2000)

SET @sql = '' --...

Ah, I see [Val 1] must be a varchar, so perhaps you can make use of one of these...?

ORDER BY LEN([Val 1]) DESC, [Val 1] DESC

or

ORDER BY RIGHT(SPACE(20) + [Val...

ORDER BY [Val 1] DESC

?

Here are a couple of ways...

declare @x varchar(30)

set @x = '20081011192921703'

select cast(substring(@x, 1, 8) + ' ' + substring(@x, 9, 2) + ':' + substring(@x, 11, 2)

...

You've lost me. Give a few examples of inputs and required outputs...

What is your basis for this fear?

No. That would have to be...

SELECT @Center = 'Center', etc

It's not assigning anything - it's just selecting the value...

I don't know - sorry...

Does this help?

declare @x xml

set @x = '

<bo>

<row number="1">

<column1>value</column1>

<column2>value</column2>

<column3>value</column3>

</row>

<row number="2">

<column1>value</column1>

<column4>value</column4>

...