Efficiently convert rows to columns in sql server

I'm looking for an efficient way to convert rows to columns in SQL server, I heard that PIVOT is not very fast, and I need to deal with lot of records.

This is my example:

| Id | Value | ColumnName |
|----|--------|---------------|
| 1 | John | FirstName |
| 2 | 2.4 | Amount |
| 3 | ZH1E4A | PostalCode |
| 4 | Fork | LastName |
| 5 | 857685 | AccountNumber |

This is my result:

| FirstName |Amount| PostalCode | LastName | AccountNumber |
|------------|------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
| John | 2.4 | ZH1E4A | Fork | 857685 |


How can I build the result?

There are several ways that you can transform data from multiple rows into columns.

## Using `PIVOT`
In SQL Server you can use the `PIVOT` function to transform the data from rows to columns:

select Firstname, Amount, PostalCode, LastName, AccountNumber
from
(
select value, columnname
from yourtable
) d
pivot
(
max(value)
for columnname in (Firstname, Amount, PostalCode, LastName, AccountNumber)
) piv;

See [Demo][1].

### Pivot with unknown number of `columnnames`
If you have an unknown number of `columnnames` that you want to transpose, then you can use dynamic SQL:

DECLARE @cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
@query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)

select @cols = STUFF((SELECT ',' + QUOTENAME(ColumnName)
from yourtable
group by ColumnName, id
order by id
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')

set @query = N'SELECT ' + @cols + N' from
(
select value, ColumnName
from yourtable
) x
pivot
(
max(value)
for ColumnName in (' + @cols + N')
) p '

exec sp_executesql @query;

See [Demo][2].

## Using an aggregate function

If you do not want to use the `PIVOT` function, then you can use an aggregate function with a `CASE` expression:

select
max(case when columnname = 'FirstName' then value end) Firstname,
max(case when columnname = 'Amount' then value end) Amount,
max(case when columnname = 'PostalCode' then value end) PostalCode,
max(case when columnname = 'LastName' then value end) LastName,
max(case when columnname = 'AccountNumber' then value end) AccountNumber
from yourtable

See [Demo][3].

## Using multiple joins

This could also be completed using multiple joins, but you will need some column to associate each of the rows which you do not have in your sample data. But the basic syntax would be:

select fn.value as FirstName,
a.value as Amount,
pc.value as PostalCode,
ln.value as LastName,
an.value as AccountNumber
from yourtable fn
left join yourtable a
on fn.somecol = a.somecol
and a.columnname = 'Amount'
left join yourtable pc
on fn.somecol = pc.somecol
and pc.columnname = 'PostalCode'
left join yourtable ln
on fn.somecol = ln.somecol
and ln.columnname = 'LastName'
left join yourtable an
on fn.somecol = an.somecol
and an.columnname = 'AccountNumber'
where fn.columnname = 'Firstname'


[1]:

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[2]:

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[3]:

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This is rather a method than just a single script but gives you much more flexibility.

First of all There are 3 objects:

1. User defined TABLE type [`ColumnActionList`] -> holds data as
parameter
2. SP [`proc_PivotPrepare`] -> prepares our data
3. SP [`proc_PivotExecute`] -> execute the script



CREATE TYPE [dbo].[ColumnActionList] AS TABLE
(
[ID] [smallint] NOT NULL,
[ColumnName] [nvarchar](128) NOT NULL,
[Action] [nchar](1) NOT NULL
);
GO




CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[proc_PivotPrepare]
(
@DB_Name nvarchar(128),
@TableName nvarchar(128)
)
AS
SELECT @DB_Name = ISNULL(@DB_Name,db_name())
DECLARE @SQL_Code nvarchar(max)

DECLARE @MyTab TABLE (ID smallint identity(1,1), [Column_Name] nvarchar(128), [Type] nchar(1), [Set Action SQL] nvarchar(max));

SELECT @SQL_Code = 'SELECT [<| SQL_Code |>] = '' '' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''-----| Declare user defined type [ID] / [ColumnName] / [PivotAction] '' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''DECLARE @ColumnListWithActions ColumnActionList;'''
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''-----| Set [PivotAction] (''''S'''' as default) to select dimentions and values '' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''-----|'''
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''-----| ''''S'''' = Stable column || ''''D'''' = Dimention column || ''''V'''' = Value column '' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''INSERT INTO @ColumnListWithActions VALUES ('' + CAST( ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY [NAME]) as nvarchar(10)) + '', '' + '''''''' + [NAME] + ''''''''+ '', ''''S'''');'''
+ 'FROM [' + @DB_Name + '].sys.columns '
+ 'WHERE object_id = object_id(''[' + @DB_Name + ']..[' + @TableName + ']'') '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''-----| Execute sp_PivotExecute with parameters: columns and dimentions and main table name'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''EXEC [dbo].[sp_PivotExecute] @ColumnListWithActions, ' + '''''' + @TableName + '''''' + ';'''
+ 'UNION ALL '
+ 'SELECT ''----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'' '
EXECUTE SP_EXECUTESQL @SQL_Code;

GO

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[sp_PivotExecute]
(
@ColumnListWithActions ColumnActionList ReadOnly
,@TableName nvarchar(128)
)
AS


--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 1 - Select our user-defined-table-variable into temp table
--#######################################################################################################################

IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb.dbo.#ColumnListWithActions', 'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE #ColumnListWithActions;
SELECT * INTO #ColumnListWithActions FROM @ColumnListWithActions;

--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 2 - Preparing lists of column groups as strings:
--#######################################################################################################################

DECLARE @ColumnName nvarchar(128)
DECLARE @Destiny nchar(1)

DECLARE @ListOfColumns_Stable nvarchar(max)
DECLARE @ListOfColumns_Dimension nvarchar(max)
DECLARE @ListOfColumns_Variable nvarchar(max)
--############################
--###| Cursor for List of Stable Columns
--############################

DECLARE ColumnListStringCreator_S CURSOR FOR
SELECT [ColumnName]
FROM #ColumnListWithActions
WHERE [Action] = 'S'
OPEN ColumnListStringCreator_S;
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_S
INTO @ColumnName
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0

BEGIN
SELECT @ListOfColumns_Stable = ISNULL(@ListOfColumns_Stable, '') + ' [' + @ColumnName + '] ,';
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_S INTO @ColumnName
END

CLOSE ColumnListStringCreator_S;
DEALLOCATE ColumnListStringCreator_S;

--############################
--###| Cursor for List of Dimension Columns
--############################

DECLARE ColumnListStringCreator_D CURSOR FOR
SELECT [ColumnName]
FROM #ColumnListWithActions
WHERE [Action] = 'D'
OPEN ColumnListStringCreator_D;
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_D
INTO @ColumnName
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0

BEGIN
SELECT @ListOfColumns_Dimension = ISNULL(@ListOfColumns_Dimension, '') + ' [' + @ColumnName + '] ,';
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_D INTO @ColumnName
END

CLOSE ColumnListStringCreator_D;
DEALLOCATE ColumnListStringCreator_D;

--############################
--###| Cursor for List of Variable Columns
--############################

DECLARE ColumnListStringCreator_V CURSOR FOR
SELECT [ColumnName]
FROM #ColumnListWithActions
WHERE [Action] = 'V'
OPEN ColumnListStringCreator_V;
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_V
INTO @ColumnName
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0

BEGIN
SELECT @ListOfColumns_Variable = ISNULL(@ListOfColumns_Variable, '') + ' [' + @ColumnName + '] ,';
FETCH NEXT FROM ColumnListStringCreator_V INTO @ColumnName
END

CLOSE ColumnListStringCreator_V;
DEALLOCATE ColumnListStringCreator_V;

SELECT @ListOfColumns_Variable = LEFT(@ListOfColumns_Variable, LEN(@ListOfColumns_Variable) - 1);
SELECT @ListOfColumns_Dimension = LEFT(@ListOfColumns_Dimension, LEN(@ListOfColumns_Dimension) - 1);
SELECT @ListOfColumns_Stable = LEFT(@ListOfColumns_Stable, LEN(@ListOfColumns_Stable) - 1);

--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 3 - Preparing table with all possible connections between Dimension columns excluding NULLs
--#######################################################################################################################
DECLARE @DIM_TAB TABLE ([DIM_ID] smallint, [ColumnName] nvarchar(128))
INSERT INTO @DIM_TAB
SELECT [DIM_ID] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY [ColumnName]), [ColumnName] FROM #ColumnListWithActions WHERE [Action] = 'D';

DECLARE @DIM_ID smallint;
SELECT @DIM_ID = 1;


DECLARE @SQL_Dimentions nvarchar(max);

IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb.dbo.##ALL_Dimentions', 'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE ##ALL_Dimentions;

SELECT @SQL_Dimentions = 'SELECT [xxx_ID_xxx] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY ' + @ListOfColumns_Dimension + '), ' + @ListOfColumns_Dimension
+ ' INTO ##ALL_Dimentions '
+ ' FROM (SELECT DISTINCT' + @ListOfColumns_Dimension + ' FROM ' + @TableName
+ ' WHERE ' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = @DIM_ID) + ' IS NOT NULL ';
SELECT @DIM_ID = @DIM_ID + 1;
WHILE @DIM_ID <= (SELECT MAX([DIM_ID]) FROM @DIM_TAB)
BEGIN
SELECT @SQL_Dimentions = @SQL_Dimentions + 'AND ' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = @DIM_ID) + ' IS NOT NULL ';
SELECT @DIM_ID = @DIM_ID + 1;
END

SELECT @SQL_Dimentions = @SQL_Dimentions + ' )x';

EXECUTE SP_EXECUTESQL @SQL_Dimentions;

--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 4 - Preparing table with all possible connections between Stable columns excluding NULLs
--#######################################################################################################################
DECLARE @StabPos_TAB TABLE ([StabPos_ID] smallint, [ColumnName] nvarchar(128))
INSERT INTO @StabPos_TAB
SELECT [StabPos_ID] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY [ColumnName]), [ColumnName] FROM #ColumnListWithActions WHERE [Action] = 'S';

DECLARE @StabPos_ID smallint;
SELECT @StabPos_ID = 1;


DECLARE @SQL_MainStableColumnTable nvarchar(max);

IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb.dbo.##ALL_StableColumns', 'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE ##ALL_StableColumns;

SELECT @SQL_MainStableColumnTable = 'SELECT xxx_ID_xxx = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY ' + @ListOfColumns_Stable + '), ' + @ListOfColumns_Stable
+ ' INTO ##ALL_StableColumns '
+ ' FROM (SELECT DISTINCT' + @ListOfColumns_Stable + ' FROM ' + @TableName
+ ' WHERE ' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @StabPos_TAB WHERE [StabPos_ID] = @StabPos_ID) + ' IS NOT NULL ';
SELECT @StabPos_ID = @StabPos_ID + 1;
WHILE @StabPos_ID <= (SELECT MAX([StabPos_ID]) FROM @StabPos_TAB)
BEGIN
SELECT @SQL_MainStableColumnTable = @SQL_MainStableColumnTable + 'AND ' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @StabPos_TAB WHERE [StabPos_ID] = @StabPos_ID) + ' IS NOT NULL ';
SELECT @StabPos_ID = @StabPos_ID + 1;
END

SELECT @SQL_MainStableColumnTable = @SQL_MainStableColumnTable + ' )x';

EXECUTE SP_EXECUTESQL @SQL_MainStableColumnTable;

--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 5 - Preparing table with all options ID
--#######################################################################################################################

DECLARE @FULL_SQL_1 NVARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT @FULL_SQL_1 = ''

DECLARE @i smallint

IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb.dbo.##FinalTab', 'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE ##FinalTab;

SELECT @FULL_SQL_1 = 'SELECT t.*, dim.[xxx_ID_xxx] '
+ ' INTO ##FinalTab '
+ 'FROM ' + @TableName + ' t '
+ 'JOIN ##ALL_Dimentions dim '
+ 'ON t.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = 1) + ' = dim.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = 1);
SELECT @i = 2
WHILE @i <= (SELECT MAX([DIM_ID]) FROM @DIM_TAB)
BEGIN
SELECT @FULL_SQL_1 = @FULL_SQL_1 + ' AND t.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = @i) + ' = dim.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @DIM_TAB WHERE [DIM_ID] = @i)
SELECT @i = @i +1
END
EXECUTE SP_EXECUTESQL @FULL_SQL_1

--#######################################################################################################################
--###| Step 6 - Selecting final data
--#######################################################################################################################
DECLARE @STAB_TAB TABLE ([STAB_ID] smallint, [ColumnName] nvarchar(128))
INSERT INTO @STAB_TAB
SELECT [STAB_ID] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY [ColumnName]), [ColumnName]
FROM #ColumnListWithActions WHERE [Action] = 'S';

DECLARE @VAR_TAB TABLE ([VAR_ID] smallint, [ColumnName] nvarchar(128))
INSERT INTO @VAR_TAB
SELECT [VAR_ID] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY [ColumnName]), [ColumnName]
FROM #ColumnListWithActions WHERE [Action] = 'V';

DECLARE @y smallint;
DECLARE @x smallint;
DECLARE @z smallint;


DECLARE @FinalCode nvarchar(max)

SELECT @FinalCode = ' SELECT ID1.*'
SELECT @y = 1
WHILE @y <= (SELECT MAX([xxx_ID_xxx]) FROM ##FinalTab)
BEGIN
SELECT @z = 1
WHILE @z <= (SELECT MAX([VAR_ID]) FROM @VAR_TAB)
BEGIN
SELECT @FinalCode = @FinalCode + ', [ID' + CAST((@y) as varchar(10)) + '.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @VAR_TAB WHERE [VAR_ID] = @z) + '] = ID' + CAST((@y + 1) as varchar(10)) + '.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @VAR_TAB WHERE [VAR_ID] = @z)
SELECT @z = @z + 1
END
SELECT @y = @y + 1
END
SELECT @FinalCode = @FinalCode +
' FROM ( SELECT * FROM ##ALL_StableColumns)ID1';
SELECT @y = 1
WHILE @y <= (SELECT MAX([xxx_ID_xxx]) FROM ##FinalTab)
BEGIN
SELECT @x = 1
SELECT @FinalCode = @FinalCode
+ ' LEFT JOIN (SELECT ' + @ListOfColumns_Stable + ' , ' + @ListOfColumns_Variable
+ ' FROM ##FinalTab WHERE [xxx_ID_xxx] = '
+ CAST(@y as varchar(10)) + ' )ID' + CAST((@y + 1) as varchar(10))
+ ' ON 1 = 1'
WHILE @x <= (SELECT MAX([STAB_ID]) FROM @STAB_TAB)
BEGIN
SELECT @FinalCode = @FinalCode + ' AND ID1.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @STAB_TAB WHERE [STAB_ID] = @x) + ' = ID' + CAST((@y+1) as varchar(10)) + '.' + (SELECT [ColumnName] FROM @STAB_TAB WHERE [STAB_ID] = @x)
SELECT @x = @x +1
END
SELECT @y = @y + 1
END

SELECT * FROM ##ALL_Dimentions;
EXECUTE SP_EXECUTESQL @FinalCode;

From executing the first query (by passing source DB and table name) you will get a pre-created execution query for the second SP, all you have to do is define is the column from your source:
+ Stable
+ Value (will be used to concentrate values based on that)
+ Dim (column you want to use to pivot by)

Names and datatypes will be defined automatically!

I cant recommend it for any production environments but does the job for adhoc BI requests.

Please try

CREATE TABLE pvt (Present int, [Absent] int);
GO
INSERT INTO pvt VALUES (10,40);
GO
--Unpivot the table.
SELECT Code, Value
FROM
(SELECT Present, Absent
FROM pvt) p
UNPIVOT
(Value FOR Code IN
(Present, [Absent])
)AS unpvt;
GO

DROP TABLE pvt

One more option which could be very useful is using CROSS APPLY

-- Original data
SELECT * FROM (VALUES ('1', 1, 2, 3),('2', 11, 22, 33)) AS Stage(id,col1,col2,col3)

-- row to columns using CROSS APPLY
SELECT Stage.id,v.idd, v.colc
FROM (VALUES ('1', 1, 2, 3),('2', 11, 22, 33)) AS Stage(id,col1,col2,col3)
CROSS APPLY (VALUES ('col1', col1),('col2', col2),('col3', col3)) AS v(idd,colc)
GO

I modified Taryn's answer ("Pivot with unknown number of columnnames" version) to show more than 1 row in the result. This requires to have an additional "Group" column

```sql
DROP TABLE #yourtable
CREATE table #yourtable
([Id] int,[Group] int, [Value] varchar(6), [ColumnName] varchar(13))
;

INSERT INTO #yourtable
([Id],[Group], [Value], [ColumnName])
VALUES
(1,1, 'John', 'FirstName'),
(2,1, '2.4', 'Amount'),
(3,1, 'ZH1E4A', 'PostalCode'),
(4,1, 'Fork', 'LastName'),
(5,1, '857685', 'AccountNumber'),
(6,2, 'Pedro', 'FirstName'),
(7,2, '5.1', 'Amount'),
(8,2, '123456', 'PostalCode'),
(9,2, 'Torres', 'LastName'),
(10,2, '857686', 'AccountNumber')
;
;



DECLARE @cols AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
@query AS NVARCHAR(MAX)

select @cols = STUFF((SELECT ',' + QUOTENAME(ColumnName)
from #yourtable
group by [Group], ColumnName, id
having [group] = (SELECT TOP 1 MIN([Group])FROM #yourtable)
order by id
FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)')
,1,1,'')




set @query = N'SELECT ' + @cols + N' from
(
select value, ColumnName,[Group]
from #yourtable
GROUP BY [Group],ColumnName,Value
) x
pivot
(
max(value)
for ColumnName in (' + @cols + N')
) p '



exec sp_executesql @query;

```

[![enter image description here][1]][1]


[1]: