For whatever assistance I actually rendered, you are welcome. Hope it works out for you.

Just one question:

Given the sample data you have provided, what do you expect the output to look like?

"Best possible combination" is an unclear requirement. 😉

Draw us a picture, and...

Glyn,

You will get much clearer replies, and tested solutions faster, if you can take the time to set up the problem with some sample create table scripts and data...

And then there's Australian Rules Football....

J: This thread is in the context of SQL 2000. Try/Catch is only valid in 2005 and beyond.

Chiun is indeed the little master, Gus.

INCOMING!!!

(now typing from beneath desk)

Fortunately I expect Gail is sleeping at...

I'll play it safe, just the same, Steve. 😉

You never know... she might be of those Zen archers. Walks out into her yard... tests the wind......

The woman also studies martial arts and plays with edged weapons.

I'd rather take a technical thrashing, but it strikes me as suicidal either way.

Good question, and good to know. I answered 1 because that's the length you get when you declare a string as varchar without a length. ...

Now I'm wondering who is brave enough, or ignorant enough, to try to pick on Gail?

Just don't look at it Jan. Pretend it's not there and maybe it will go away.

Why don't you just use REPLACE() to change [@var] to [1] in the @sql string BEFORE you execute it.

Gail: There's hope!

Many people have cats but go on to live perfectly normal lives. 😛

GAD! Look at all the posts.

Y'all were trying to hit the 5k barrier while I wasn't watching!! Confess!!

Alvin, looks like there will be 3-4 from Oxford...

I always wanted to hear:

Set phasers on toast.

Set phasers on deep fry.

Set phasers on cuisinart.

Hmmm....

Set phasers on truncate.

Set phasers on pork chop.

Set phasers on data corruption.

Set phasers on disaster.