AVB,

You have many options as to how to construct this. I can't go into too much detail because I don't know your DDL, etc., but I'll give a...

Like Matt said, more details will help to provide an accurate solution.

Basically though, you can get the data in sets rather than row by row as Matt outlined in his...

Ahhh...the key to your solution, Matt, is to build the row string on the INSERT into the temp table, rather than building it when SELECTING from the temp tables. ...

I have done this in the past using temp tables, but I cheated and used while loops, but only to build the final output string. It was the most obvious...

I would model it like this because once you have built the table structure, you have the flexibility to add people and towns as your needs change without have to...

Because you are building a output string for EDI, it doesn't appear that you will be able to totally get away from some kind of row by row processing, but...

Excellent! And you found the answer!

I'm with Gail...not sure a cursor (or nested cursor...yuk) is necessary, but seeing what you are doing would help us determine that.

Have you investigated using 'UPDATE...FROM'...this allows you to select...

Just curious as to what your data is modeling...perhaps a different table design would make life easier.

Rather than have these multiple columns (up to 96 as you say),...

Try sysdevices in SQL 2000.

'sys.master_files' does not exist in SQL Server 2000.

I agree with all of the above. I have used both XML and delimited strings to pass in variable-length lists. If you are not using XML anywhere else,...

Funny how some of the easiest things can trip you up, sometimes for days. :hehe:

I've seen the term 'database pooling' used in ColdFusion, but that is just database connection pooling, which is what Steve said.

You should have asked the interviewer what it was. ...

The path in the 'FROM' must be the path from the server where SQL Server is running. Is your 'E:' directory mapped on your SQL Server, or your local...