...the '00' unicode country code in these examples sticks out like a sore thumb...

Thanks Jeff

Try

CAST([columnname] as nvarchar(100))

Change

set @mysql = 'select count(*) from ' + @myname

select @mycnt = count(*) from @myane

set @mycnt = execute(@mysql)

to

set @mysql = 'select @mycnt=count(*) from ' + @myname

exec sp_executesql @mysql, N'@mycnt int...

Ah, OK

Besides any solution will require a SELECT/JOIN because of the INSERT

Heck, I only found out when I experimented before my first post

There is always something in SQL to catch me out

If data consists of fixed values then use CASE statements and GROUP BY

If data consists of variable values then create a function to concatenate data for and use it...

But for uniqueness it is 4.

ie add 3 or 4 milliseconds to 13 milliseconds and you will get 17 milliseconds for both

The only way I can think of is to use temp table/table variable to store the unique key of the selected records plus IDENTITY column and update datetime using the...

Just some observations

You will not be able to update the new column in a set based update unless all of your dates are valid or SQL will stop at the...

You could try to reduce the rows selected in the Linked Server like this

UPDATE u

SET [LinkCol_1] = l.[LocalCol_1]

FROM OPENQUERY(LinkedServerName, 'SELECT [LinkCol_ID],[LinkCol_1] FROM DBName..TblName WHERE LinkCol_3]=''ABC''') u

INNER JOIN...

Something like this

IF ((SUBSTRING(COLUMNS_UPDATED(),1,1) & 128) > 0 OR 

    SUBSTRING(COLUMNS_UPDATED(),2,1) > 0 OR 

   (SUBSTRING(COLUMNS_UPDATED(),3,1) & 7) > 0) AND

   EXISTS(SELECT * FROM [2nd table] WHERE ...)

   RAISERROR ('Record is...

or

DATENAME(month,DATEADD(month,[monthcolumn],-1))

Are you looking for SQL Server solution?

Translate Access to TSQL first

SELECT @YearInput AS [input],

  s.Department,

  s.DateAwarded,

  s.StudentNumber,

  p.Forenames AS fore,

  p.Surname AS Sur,

  s.Mode,...

DECLARE @months int

SET @months = DATEDIFF(month,@firstdate,@seconddate)

SELECT @months % 12 AS [Months],@months / 12 AS [Years]

Some more detail and example data and results would be helpful