SQL Server: Error in Cursorless stored procedure - stored-procedures

Question

I'm having trouble with this stored procedure, could you please help.
This is error I'm getting - running all this via Oracle Sql developer on SQL Server 2000 hosted elsewhere.
Error
Error starting at line 1 in command:
execute dbo.OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN 'dbo.EH_Brownbin_Josh','Match', 1
Error report:
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'BEGIN'.
Procedure
ALTER PROCEDURE [dbo].[OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN]
#JvarTable Varchar(250),
#varColumn Varchar(250),
#optInterval int
AS
declare #Sql_string nvarchar(4000)
declare #myERROR int
declare #myRowCount int
declare #topseed int
declare #stg_topseed varchar(100)
-- Temp table for rows with nulls in specific column
declare #RowCnt int
declare #MaxRows int
declare #col_Name nvarchar(250)
declare #col_UPRN nvarchar(250)
declare #col_JoinedOn smalldatetime
begin
set #Sql_string = 'select top 1 ' + #varColumn + ' from ' + #JvarTable + ' order by convert(int, ' + #varColumn + ') desc'
set #stg_topseed = #Sql_string
set #topseed = convert(int, #stg_topseed)
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
select #RowCnt = 1
declare #Import table
(
rownum int IDENTITY (1, 1) Primary key NOT NULL ,
col_Name nvarchar(250),
col_UPRN nvarchar(250),
col_JoinedOn smalldatetime
)
set #sql_string = 'insert into #Import (col_Name, col_UPRN, col_JoinedOn) select Name, UPRN, JoinedOn from ' + #JvarTable + ' where ' + #varColumn +' is null'
exec #Sql_string
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
select #MaxRows=count(*) from #Import
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
-- Next new seed
select #topseed = #topseed + #optInterval
<br/>
while #RowCnt <= #MaxRows
begin
select #col_Name = col_Name from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
select #col_UPRN = col_UPRN from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
select #col_JoinedOn = col_JoinedOn from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
set #Sql_string = 'update ' + #JvarTable + ' set ' + #varColumn + ' = cast((' + #topseed + ') as char) where Name = ''' + #col_Name + ''' and UPRN = ''' + #col_UPRN + ''' and JoinedOn = ''' + #col_JoinedOn + ''' '
exec (#Sql_string)
select #topseed = #topseed + #optInterval
Select #RowCnt = #RowCnt + 1
end
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
HANDLE_ERROR:
RETURN #myERROR
end

Answer 1

Whereas in Oracle, you need to have DECLARE - BEGIN - END, in MSSQL you do not have to use the BEGIN/END keywords on the procedure body.
Note that the label HANDLE_ERROR: is outside the BEGIN/END.
My guess is that removing the BEGIN (after the DECLARE block) and the END (before SELECT #myERROR=...), the error goes away.
Edit:
I guess I don't get the following statement:
set #Sql_string = 'select top 1 ' + #varColumn + ' from ' + #JvarTable + ' order by convert(int, ' + #varColumn + ') desc'
set #stg_topseed = #Sql_string
set #topseed = convert(int, #stg_topseed)
You assign a string var, copy the value to another string var, and, instead of executing the SQL statement, you cast the string var into an int. (?)

Answer 2

There were several errors in that code and there's probably a better, set based, way to solve the problem this stored procedure is for. (But that's another question and requires knowledge of the target tables that was not provided.)
The following code should be a step closer to what you're looking for.
Changes:
Edited suspicious code, cast((' + #topseed + ') as char) is that column really char? or is it varchar(something)?
Corrected logic around #topseed fetch.
Corrected logic around Import table use.
Corrected update SQL generation.
Removed extraneous Begin/ENDs.
Removed extraneous HTML (<br/>).
Wrapped procedure with Begin/END.
Added Go at the end.
Code:
ALTER PROCEDURE [dbo].[OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN]
#JvarTable Varchar(250),
#varColumn Varchar(250),
#optInterval int
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE #Sql_string nvarchar(4000)
DECLARE #myERROR int
DECLARE #myRowCount int
DECLARE #topseed int
DECLARE #stg_topseed varchar(100)
-- Temp table for rows with nulls in specific column
DECLARE #RowCnt int
DECLARE #MaxRows int
DECLARE #col_Name nvarchar(250)
DECLARE #col_UPRN nvarchar(250)
DECLARE #col_JoinedOn smalldatetime
SET #Sql_string = 'select top 1 #stg_topseed = ' + #varColumn + ' from ' + #JvarTable + ' order by convert(int, ' + #varColumn + ') desc'
EXEC SP_EXECUTESQL #Sql_string, N'#stg_topseed varchar(100) OUTPUT', #stg_topseed OUTPUT
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
SET #topseed = CONVERT(int, #stg_topseed)
/* Can't use a table variable with EXEC and/or SP_EXECUTESQL.
Therefore, forced to use a temporary table.
*/
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM dbo.sysobjects WHERE id = object_id('#Import') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsUserTable') = 1)
DROP TABLE #Import
CREATE table #Import
(
rownum int IDENTITY (1, 1) Primary key NOT NULL,
col_Name nvarchar(250),
col_UPRN nvarchar(250),
col_JoinedOn smalldatetime
)
SET #sql_string = 'insert into #Import (col_Name, col_UPRN, col_JoinedOn) select Name, UPRN, JoinedOn from ' + #JvarTable + ' where ' + #varColumn +' is null'
EXEC (#Sql_string)
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
SELECT #MaxRows=count(*) from #Import
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
-- Next new seed
SELECT #topseed = #topseed + #optInterval
SELECT #RowCnt = 1
WHILE #RowCnt <= #MaxRows
BEGIN
SELECT #col_Name = col_Name from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
SELECT #col_UPRN = col_UPRN from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
SELECT #col_JoinedOn = col_JoinedOn from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
SET #Sql_string = 'update ' + #JvarTable + ' set ' + #varColumn + ' = ''' + CAST (#topseed AS varchar(250)) + ''' where Name = ''' + #col_Name + ''' and UPRN = ''' + #col_UPRN + ''' and JoinedOn = ''' + CAST(#col_JoinedOn AS varchar(250)) + ''' '
EXEC (#Sql_string)
SELECT #topseed = #topseed + #optInterval
SELECT #RowCnt = #RowCnt + 1
END
SELECT #myERROR = ##ERROR, #myRowCOUNT = ##ROWCOUNT
IF #myERROR != 0 GOTO HANDLE_ERROR
HANDLE_ERROR:
RETURN #myERROR
END
GO

Answer 3

I've been doing housekeeping on StackOverflow, and realised I hadn't (or accepted) answered the question I asked a long time ago. I couldn't remember which method/work-around I decided on, but I felt it's important to upload my accepted and working script, although I no longer need it.
Nevertheless, I sincerely hope this code will help the next person who has similar question to mine.
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN] #JvarTable nvarchar(250), #varColumn nvarchar(250), #optInterval int AS
/*
Procedure OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN
Created by Joshua White
When 20100902
Purpose To fill up column with new sequence numbers
Arguments JvarTable - Table name
varColumn - Column name
optInterval - Steps in increment in building new sequence (Should be 1 (one))
Example script to begin procedure
EXECUTE [dbo].[OF_ASEQ_EH_BROWNBIN] 'EH_Brownbin_Josh', 'Match', 1
PLEASE NOTE - Typically Stored Procedures are supposed to be flexible to work on
any tables, but due to complications with SQL Server 2000 and problems with
Cursors, we have to use manual scripts and this Stored Procedure will only work
on EH_BrownBin table ONLY.
Any questions about this, please send email to
<email deleted>
*/
declare #Sql_string nvarchar(4000)
declare #myERROR int
declare #myRowCount int
/* Fetching the last number in rows of table in question */
declare #topseed int
declare #stg_topseed varchar(100)
-- Temp table for rows with nulls in specific column
declare #RowCnt int
declare #MaxRows int
declare #rc int
declare #colu_Name nvarchar(250)
declare #colu_UPRN nvarchar(250)
declare #colu_JoinedOn smalldatetime
Begin
set #stg_topseed = 'select top 1 ' + #varColumn + ' from ' + #JvarTable + ' order by convert(int, ' + #varColumn + ') desc'
exec (#stg_topseed)
/* Begin collecting all rows with nulls in specified column */
select #RowCnt = 1
declare #Import table
(
rownum int IDENTITY (1, 1) Primary key NOT NULL ,
colu_Name nvarchar(250),
colu_UPRN nvarchar(250),
colu_JoinedOn smalldatetime
)
set nocount on
select #MaxRows = count(*) from #Import
-- Next new seed
select #stg_topseed = #stg_topseed + #optInterval
select #rc=0
while #RowCnt <= #MaxRows
begin
select #colu_Name = colu_Name from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
select #colu_UPRN = colu_UPRN from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
select #colu_JoinedOn = colu_JoinedOn from #Import where rownum = #RowCnt
set #Sql_string = 'update ' + #JvarTable + ' set ' + #varColumn + ' = ' + #stg_topseed + ' where Name = ''' + #colu_Name + ''' and UPRN = ''' + #colu_UPRN + ''' '
exec (#Sql_string)
select #stg_topseed = #stg_topseed + #optInterval
Select #RowCnt = #RowCnt + 1
end
print 'END'
end