Convert Row Value in to Column in SQL Server (Pivot)

Efficiently convert rows to columns in sql server

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.

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.

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.

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'

Convert Rows to columns using 'Pivot' in SQL Server

If you are using SQL Server 2005+, then you can use the PIVOT function to transform the data from rows into columns.

It sounds like you will need to use dynamic sql if the weeks are unknown but it is easier to see the correct code using a hard-coded version initially.

First up, here are some quick table definitions and data for use:

CREATE TABLE yt 
(
  [Store] int, 
  [Week] int, 
  [xCount] int
);
    
INSERT INTO yt
(
  [Store], 
  [Week], [xCount]
)
VALUES
    (102, 1, 96),
    (101, 1, 138),
    (105, 1, 37),
    (109, 1, 59),
    (101, 2, 282),
    (102, 2, 212),
    (105, 2, 78),
    (109, 2, 97),
    (105, 3, 60),
    (102, 3, 123),
    (101, 3, 220),
    (109, 3, 87);

If your values are known, then you will hard-code the query:

select *
from 
(
  select store, week, xCount
  from yt 
) src
pivot
(
  sum(xcount)
  for week in ([1], [2], [3])
) piv;

See SQL Demo

Then if you need to generate the week number dynamically, your code will be:

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

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

set @query = 'SELECT store,' + @cols + ' from 
             (
                select store, week, xCount
                from yt
            ) x
            pivot 
            (
                sum(xCount)
                for week in (' + @cols + ')
            ) p '

execute(@query);

See SQL Demo.

The dynamic version, generates the list of week numbers that should be converted to columns. Both give the same result:

| STORE |   1 |   2 |   3 |
---------------------------
|   101 | 138 | 282 | 220 |
|   102 |  96 | 212 | 123 |
|   105 |  37 |  78 |  60 |
|   109 |  59 |  97 |  87 |

Convert row value in to column in SQL server (PIVOT)

Try this one:

SELECT *
FROM (SELECT Item, attribute, value FROM MyTable) AS t
PIVOT
(
  MAX(value)
  FOR attribute IN([Quality], [Color])
) AS p;

Output:

╔═══════╦═════════╦═══════╗
║ ITEM  ║ QUALITY ║ COLOR ║
╠═══════╬═════════╬═══════╣
║ item1 ║ A       ║ Red   ║
║ item2 ║ B       ║ Black ║
╚═══════╩═════════╩═══════╝

See this SQLFiddle

You can also use this dynamic query if you don't know the specific value of attribute:

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

select @cols = STUFF((SELECT distinct ',' + QUOTENAME(attribute) 
                    from MyTable
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
            ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)') 
        ,1,1,'')

set @query = 'SELECT Item,' + @cols + ' 
             from 
             (
                Select Item, attribute , value
                from MyTable
             ) dta
             pivot 
             (
                MAX(Value)
                for attribute in (' + @cols + ')
             ) pvt '

execute(@query);

See this SQLFiddle

SQL Server - Pivot Convert rows to columns (with additional row data)

I think conditional aggregation does what you want:

select id, type, color, date,
       max(case when country_code = 'US' then cost end) as us,
       max(case when country_code = 'EU' then cost end) as eu,
       max(case when country_code = 'RU' then cost end) as ru,
       max(case when country_code = 'AP' then cost end) as AP
from t
group by id, type, color, date;

Converting 200+ rows to column in SQL Server using PIVOT

You can use dynamic sql to create the list of col_name:

declare @pivot_col varchar(max);
declare @sql       varchar(max);
select  @pivot_col = string_agg( cast(col_name as varchar(max)), ', ') within group ( order by col_name ) from ( select distinct col_name from tmp_table ) A;

set @sql = 'SELECT * 
            FROM   (
                      SELECT [ID], [Col_Name], [Col_Value] 
                      FROM tmp_table
                   ) AS a 
                   PIVOT 
                   (
                      MAX([Col_Value])
                      FOR [Col_Name] in (' +  @pivot_col + ' )
                   ) AS p 
                   ORDER BY [ID]';
exec ( @sql );

The PIVOT / UNPIVOT operators are built on the principles of an Entity Attribute Value model (EAV). The idea behind an EAV model is that you can extend database entities without performing database schema changes. For that reason an EAV model stores all attributes of an entity in one table as key/value pairs.

If that is the idea behind your design then use the dynamic sql query i posted above, otherwise use a regular record with 200+ columns for each id, as suggested by Gordon.

You can read about the performance of PIVOT / UNPIVOT operators here.

EDIT:
For sql server 2016 version:

declare @pivot_col varchar(max);
declare @sql       varchar(max);
select  @pivot_col = STUFF( (SELECT ',' + CAST(col_name AS VARCHAR(max)) AS [text()] FROM ( select distinct col_name from tmp_table ) A ORDER BY col_name FOR XML PATH('')), 1, 1, NULL);

set @sql = 'SELECT * 
            FROM   ( SELECT [ID], [Col_Name], [Col_Value] 
                     FROM tmp_table
                   ) AS a 
                   PIVOT 
                   (
                      MAX([Col_Value])
                      FOR [Col_Name] in (' +  @pivot_col + ' )
                   ) AS p 
                   ORDER BY [ID]';
exec ( @sql );

Convert Single Row To Single Column Using Pivot/unpivot In Sql Server

I would recommend using apply:

select v.col
from t cross apply
     (values (col1), (col2), (col3), (col4), (col5)) v(col);

I strongly recommend apply over unpivot. However, they are not 100% equivalent, because unpivot filters out NULL values.

Pivot/transpose rows into columns efficiently with multiple columns

SELECT
  [Num1], 
  [Type1], 
  [Code], 
  [Group], 
  [DA], 
  [123],
  [234]
FROM
  yourTable
PIVOT
(
  MAX([value])  
  FOR [account] IN ([123], [234])
)
  AS PivotTable

https://dbfiddle.uk/?rdbms=sqlserver_2019&fiddle=7fbe16b9254aa5ee60a23e43eec9597f

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