EDIT: Ok, so as is pointed out in the comments below SQL Server comes with a very powerful XML Parser already OPENXML and sp_xml_preparedocument. I posted a code snipet in the comments I got from BOL so you can see how it works. While my routine operaes in a different manner, it seems to have been an exercise in futility...but it was fun writing it...annd hey maybe it will come in hany. Who knows.
A poster over at SQLTeam asked a question on how to “read“ xml data from a string. Now I had always toyed with the idea of parsing XML...
Thought I lost this...so I figured I better post it. It will create format cards for all tables in the database.
if exists (select * from dbo.sysobjects where id = object_id(N'[dbo].[isp_GenFormatCards]') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsProcedure') = 1)
drop procedure [dbo].[isp_GenFormatCards]
GO
CREATE PROC isp_GenFormatCards
AS
DECLARE FormatCard CURSOR FOR
SELECT FORMAT_CARD, TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA FROM (
/*
SELECT '--' + TABLE_NAME AS FORMAT_CARD
, TABLE_NAME, null AS COLUMN_NAME, 0 AS SQLGroup, 1 AS RowGrouping
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Tables
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'
UNION ALL
*/
SELECT '7.0' AS FORMAT_CARD
, TABLE_NAME, TABLE_SCHEMA, null AS COLUMN_NAME, 1 AS SQLGroup, 1 AS RowGrouping
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Tables
WHERE TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'
UNION ALL
SELECT CONVERT(varchar(5),MAX(ORDINAL_POSITION)) AS FORMAT_CARD
, c.TABLE_NAME, c.TABLE_SCHEMA, null AS COLUMN_NAME, 2 AS SQLGroup, 1...