how to update text field

Hi all,

I have a table with millions of records, table has three fields: case_id,line_no and notedata field, notedata field is 60 chars long, datatype varchar.for each case_id there could be as many as 2000 line_no meaning 2000 notes. I need to compress these notes into one note by case_no, For example case_no 1 could have 2000 lines of notes but my comressed table shoul have only one line containing all 2000 notes in line_no sequence.

my compressed table contains two fields case_no and notetext, notetext is a text field.

here is the script I am trying to use to accomplish the task but it does not append more than 8000 chars in one case, so my notes are chopping of, how should I do this, please let me know of any suggestions..

Thanks.



truncate table eldoecinotescompressed
insert into eldoecinotescompressed (app_code, case_no)
select distinct app_code, substring(system_key, 6,8)
from eldoecinotes

DECLARE @case VARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @note VARCHAR(80);
DECLARE @lineno VARCHAR(5);

DECLARE notes_cursor CURSOR FOR
select substring(system_key, 6,8) case_no, line_no, rtrim(notedata) notedata FROM EldoECINotes
where substring(system_key, 6,8)<>''
order by 1,2;
OPEN notes_cursor;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN

BEGIN TRANSACTION;
update eldoecinotescompressed
set notetext =
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) >= 0 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 1, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 8000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 8001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 16000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 16001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 24000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 24001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 32000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 32001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 40000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 40001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 48000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 48001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 56000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 56001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 64000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 64001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 72000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 72001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 80000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 80001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 88000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 88001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 96000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 96001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 104000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 104001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 112000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 112001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 120000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 120001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 128000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 128001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 136000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 136001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 144000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 144001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 152000 then
substring(isnull(notetext,''), 152001, 8000)
else '' end ) +
(case when isnull(datalength(notetext), 0) > 0 then
char(13) + char(10)
else '' end) +
isnull(@note,'')
where case_no=@case;
commit;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
END
CLOSE notes_cursor;
DEALLOCATE notes_cursor;

You need to use UPDATETEXT for this sort of operation.

The UPDATE command is really does not handle text datatypes that well as you are finding.

I think that something like the following will work for you


truncate table eldoecinotescompressed
insert into eldoecinotescompressed (app_code, case_no)
select distinct app_code, substring(system_key, 6,8)
from eldoecinotes

DECLARE @case VARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @note VARCHAR(80);
DECLARE @lineno VARCHAR(5);


DECLARE @ptrval binary(16)


DECLARE notes_cursor CURSOR FOR
select substring(system_key, 6,8) case_no, line_no, rtrim(notedata) notedata FROM EldoECINotes
where substring(system_key, 6,8)<>''
order by 1,2;
OPEN notes_cursor;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN

BEGIN TRANSACTION;

SELECT @ptrval = TEXTPTR(notetext)
FROM eldoecinotescompressed p
WHERE case_no=@case

UPDATETEXT commit;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
ENDeldoecinotescompressed.notetext @ptrval null null @note



CLOSE notes_cursor;
DEALLOCATE notes_cursor;

I'm having problem with the following part

UPDATETEXT commit;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
ENDeldoecinotescompressed.notetext @ptrval null null @note

Saying syntax error...

I dunno what happened to my reply - that certainly isn't what I remember. However, lets try it again...



truncate table eldoecinotescompressed
insert into eldoecinotescompressed (app_code, case_no)
select distinct app_code, substring(system_key, 6,8)
from eldoecinotes

DECLARE @case VARCHAR(20);
DECLARE @note VARCHAR(80);
DECLARE @lineno VARCHAR(5);


DECLARE @ptrval binary(16)


DECLARE notes_cursor CURSOR FOR
select substring(system_key, 6,8) case_no, line_no, rtrim(notedata) notedata FROM EldoECINotes
where substring(system_key, 6,8)<>''
order by 1,2;
OPEN notes_cursor;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN

BEGIN TRANSACTION;

SELECT @ptrval = TEXTPTR(notetext)
FROM eldoecinotescompressed p
WHERE case_no=@case

UPDATETEXT eldoecinotescompressed.notetext @ptrval null null @note
commit;
FETCH NEXT FROM notes_cursor into @case, @lineno, @note;
END




CLOSE notes_cursor;
DEALLOCATE notes_cursor;