Transposing Rows in to Colums in SQL Server 2005

Simple way to transpose columns and rows in SQL?

There are several ways that you can transform this data. In your original post, you stated that PIVOT seems too complex for this scenario, but it can be applied very easily using both the UNPIVOT and PIVOT functions in SQL Server.

However, if you do not have access to those functions this can be replicated using UNION ALL to UNPIVOT and then an aggregate function with a CASE statement to PIVOT:

Create Table:

CREATE TABLE yourTable([color] varchar(5), [Paul] int, [John] int, [Tim] int, [Eric] int);

INSERT INTO yourTable
    ([color], [Paul], [John], [Tim], [Eric])
VALUES
    ('Red', 1, 5, 1, 3),
    ('Green', 8, 4, 3, 5),
    ('Blue', 2, 2, 9, 1);

Union All, Aggregate and CASE Version:

select name,
  sum(case when color = 'Red' then value else 0 end) Red,
  sum(case when color = 'Green' then value else 0 end) Green,
  sum(case when color = 'Blue' then value else 0 end) Blue
from
(
  select color, Paul value, 'Paul' name
  from yourTable
  union all
  select color, John value, 'John' name
  from yourTable
  union all
  select color, Tim value, 'Tim' name
  from yourTable
  union all
  select color, Eric value, 'Eric' name
  from yourTable
) src
group by name

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

The UNION ALL performs the UNPIVOT of the data by transforming the columns Paul, John, Tim, Eric into separate rows. Then you apply the aggregate function sum() with the case statement to get the new columns for each color.

Unpivot and Pivot Static Version:

Both the UNPIVOT and PIVOT functions in SQL server make this transformation much easier. If you know all of the values that you want to transform, you can hard-code them into a static version to get the result:

select name, [Red], [Green], [Blue]
from
(
  select color, name, value
  from yourtable
  unpivot
  (
    value for name in (Paul, John, Tim, Eric)
  ) unpiv
) src
pivot
(
  sum(value)
  for color in ([Red], [Green], [Blue])
) piv

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

The inner query with the UNPIVOT performs the same function as the UNION ALL. It takes the list of columns and turns it into rows, the PIVOT then performs the final transformation into columns.

Dynamic Pivot Version:

If you have an unknown number of columns (Paul, John, Tim, Eric in your example) and then an unknown number of colors to transform you can use dynamic sql to generate the list to UNPIVOT and then PIVOT:

DECLARE @colsUnpivot AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
    @query  AS NVARCHAR(MAX),
    @colsPivot as  NVARCHAR(MAX)

select @colsUnpivot = stuff((select ','+quotename(C.name)
         from sys.columns as C
         where C.object_id = object_id('yourtable') and
               C.name <> 'color'
         for xml path('')), 1, 1, '')

select @colsPivot = STUFF((SELECT  ',' 
                      + quotename(color)
                    from yourtable t
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
            ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)') 
        ,1,1,'')

set @query 
  = 'select name, '+@colsPivot+'
      from
      (
        select color, name, value
        from yourtable
        unpivot
        (
          value for name in ('+@colsUnpivot+')
        ) unpiv
      ) src
      pivot
      (
        sum(value)
        for color in ('+@colsPivot+')
      ) piv'

exec(@query)

See SQL Fiddle with Demo

The dynamic version queries both yourtable and then the sys.columns table to generate the list of items to UNPIVOT and PIVOT. This is then added to a query string to be executed. The plus of the dynamic version is if you have a changing list of colors and/or names this will generate the list at run-time.

All three queries will produce the same result:

| NAME | RED | GREEN | BLUE |
-----------------------------
| Eric |   3 |     5 |    1 |
| John |   5 |     4 |    2 |
| Paul |   1 |     8 |    2 |
|  Tim |   1 |     3 |    9 |

Transpose rows to columns - SQL2005

It can be done using INFORMATION_SCHEMA, UNPIVOT, CAST and EXEC. Here's a working solution.

CREATE TABLE #Data ([Status] int, [Wage] varchar(100), [Tax] decimal(10,3), BigText nvarchar(max))
INSERT #Data VALUES (7, '$12m', 123123.22, 'small island')

SELECT ORDINAL_POSITION, COLUMN_NAME, DATA_TYPE
+ CASE WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH > 0 THEN '(' + CAST(CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH AS nvarchar(10)) + ')' WHEN CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH = -1 THEN '(max)' ELSE '' END
+ CASE WHEN DATA_TYPE IN ('numeric', 'decimal') AND NUMERIC_PRECISION > 0 THEN '(' + CAST(NUMERIC_PRECISION AS nvarchar(10)) 
    + CASE WHEN NUMERIC_SCALE > 0 THEN ',' + CAST(NUMERIC_SCALE AS NVARCHAR(10)) ELSE '' END
 + ')' ELSE '' END DATA_TYPE
INTO #Columns
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS C
WHERE C.TABLE_NAME LIKE '#Data%'
ORDER BY C.ORDINAL_POSITION

DECLARE @selectList nvarchar(max), @columnNames nvarchar(max)

SELECT @selectList = ISNULL(@selectList + ',', '') + 'CAST(' + QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME) + ' AS nvarchar(max)) ' + QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME),
    @columnNames = ISNULL(@columnNames + ',', '') + QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME)
FROM #Columns

DECLARE @unpivot nvarchar(max)

SET @unpivot = '
    SELECT b.Column_Name, b.DataValue, c.Data_Type
    FROM
    (
        SELECT ' + @selectList + ' FROM #Data
    ) a
    UNPIVOT (DataValue FOR Column_Name IN (' + @columnNames + ')) b
    JOIN #Columns c ON c.Column_Name = b.Column_Name
'

EXEC (@unpivot)

SQL Server - Transpose rows into columns

You also need a value field in your query for each id to aggregate on. Then you can do something like this

select [1234], [1235]
from
(
    -- replace code below with your query, e.g. select id, value from table
    select
    id = 1234,
    value = 1
    union
    select
    id = 1235,
    value = 2
) a
pivot
(
  avg(value) for id in ([1234], [1235])
) as pvt

Transpose rows into columns in SQL without using aggregate functions like MAX, AVG etc

You can use max() with characters/string. A simple old style pivot will work for this:

select
    RollNo
  , Q1 = max(case when QuesBlock = 1 then RespVal else null end)
  , Q2 = max(case when QuesBlock = 2 then RespVal else null end)
  , Q3 = max(case when QuesBlock = 3 then RespVal else null end)
from MyDataTable
group by RollNo;

or with pivot() like so:

select
    RollNo
  , Q1
  , Q2
  , Q3
from (select RollNo, QuesBlock='Q'+convert(varchar(2),QuesBlock), RespVal
      from MyDataTable) as i
 pivot (max(RespVal) for QuesBlock in (Q1,Q2,Q3)) as p;

or dynamically pivot() like so:

declare @query nvarchar(max);
declare @cols nvarchar(max);

select @cols = stuff((select ','+quotename('Q'+convert(varchar(2),QuesBlock))
         from MyDataTable as C
         group by c.QuesBlock
         order by c.QuesBlock
         for xml path('')), 1, 1, '');
set @query = 'select RollNo, '+@cols+'
      from(select RollNo, QuesBlock=''Q''+convert(varchar(2),QuesBlock), RespVal
        from MyDataTable) as i
      pivot
      (
        max(RespVal)
        for QuesBlock in ('+@cols+')
      ) p';
exec sp_executesql @query;

test setup: http://rextester.com/TURW69000

all three return:

+---------+----+----+----+
| RollNo  | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
+---------+----+----+----+
| mba0001 | A  | B  | D  |
| mba0002 | C  | A  | B  |
| mba0003 | B  | C  | A  |
+---------+----+----+----+

Displaying Columns as Rows in SQL Server 2005

In order to get the result that you want you need to first UNPIVOT the data and then PIVOT theDatePeriod` Values.

The UNPIVOT will transform the multiple columns of Transactions, Customers and Visits into multiple rows. The other answers are using a UNION ALL to unpivot but SQL Server 2005 was the first year the UNPIVOT function was supported.

The query to unpivot the data is:

select dateperiod,
  col, value
from transactions
unpivot
(
  value for col in (Transactions, Customers, Visits)
) u

See Demo. This transforms your current columns into multiple rows, so the data looks like the following:

| DATEPERIOD |          COL | VALUE |
-------------------------------------
|   Jan 2012 | Transactions |   100 |
|   Jan 2012 |    Customers |    50 |
|   Jan 2012 |       Visits |   150 |
|   Feb 2012 | Transactions |   200 |

Now, since the data is in rows, you can apply the PIVOT function to the DatePeriod column:

select col, [Jan 2012], [Feb 2012], [Mar 2012]
from
(
  select dateperiod,
    t.col, value, c.SortOrder
  from
  (
    select dateperiod,
      col, value
    from transactions
    unpivot
    (
      value for col in (Transactions, Customers, Visits)
    ) u
  ) t
  inner join
  (
    select 'Transactions' col, 1 SortOrder
    union all
    select 'Customers' col, 2 SortOrder
    union all
    select 'Visits' col, 3 SortOrder
   ) c
    on t.col = c.col
) d
pivot
(
  sum(value)
  for dateperiod in ([Jan 2012], [Feb 2012], [Mar 2012])
) piv
order by SortOrder;

See SQL Fiddle with Demo.

If you have an unknown number of date period's then you will use dynamic SQL:

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

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

set @query = 'SELECT col, ' + @cols + ' 
             from 
             (
                select dateperiod,
                  t.col, value, c.SortOrder
                from
                (
                  select dateperiod,
                    col, value
                  from transactions
                  unpivot
                  (
                    value for col in (Transactions, Customers, Visits)
                  ) u
                ) t
                inner join
                (
                  select ''Transactions'' col, 1 SortOrder
                  union all
                  select ''Customers'' col, 2 SortOrder
                  union all
                  select ''Visits'' col, 3 SortOrder
                 ) c
                  on t.col = c.col
            ) x
            pivot 
            (
                sum(value)
                for dateperiod in (' + @cols + ')
            ) p 
            order by SortOrder'

execute(@query)

See SQL Fiddle with Demo. Both will give the result:

|          COL | JAN 2012 | FEB 2012 | MAR 2012 |
-------------------------------------------------
| Transactions |      100 |      200 |      300 |
|    Customers |       50 |      100 |      200 |
|       Visits |      150 |      300 |      600 |

SQL server: convert rows to columns

You should take a look at PIVOT for switching rows with columns. This prevents a select statement for each month. Something like this:

DECLARE @salesTable TABLE
(
    [month] INT,
    sales INT
)

-- Note that I use SQL Server 2008 INSERT syntax here for inserting
-- multiple rows in one statement!
INSERT INTO @salesTable
VALUES (0, 2) ,(0, 2) ,(1, 2) ,(1, 2) ,(2, 2)
      ,(3, 2) ,(3, 2) ,(4, 2) ,(4, 2) ,(5, 2)
      ,(6, 2) ,(6, 2) ,(7, 2) ,(8, 2) ,(8, 2)
      ,(9, 2) ,(10, 2) ,(10, 2) ,(11, 2) ,(11, 2)

SELECT [0], [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]
FROM
(
    SELECT [month], sales
    FROM @salesTable
) AS SourceTable
PIVOT
(
    SUM(sales)
    FOR [month] IN ([0], [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11])
) AS PivotTable

Transpose a set of rows as columns in SQL Server 2000

The example at http://jdixon.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/pivot_table_data_in_sql_server_2000_and_2005.htm only works if you know in advance what the row values can be. For example, let's say you have an entity with custom attributes and the custom attributes are implemented as rows in a child table, where the child table is basically variable/value pairs, and those variable/value pairs are configurable.

color red
size  big
city  Chicago

I'm going to describe a technique that works. I've used it. I'm NOT promoting it, but it works.

To pivot the data where you don't know what the values can be in advance, create a temp table on the fly with no columns. Then use a cursor to loop through your rows, issuing a dynamically built "alter table" for each variable, so that in the end your temp table has the columns, color, size, city.

Then you insert one row in your temp table, update it via another cursor through the variable, value pairs, and then select it, usually joined with its parent entity, in effect making it seem like those custom variable/value pairs were like built-in columns in the original parent entity.

Transpose rows to columns based on ID column

you can use SQL Server pivot clause for this:

select
    p.*
from Table1
pivot(
    max([Field Selection])
    for [Field Name] in ([Rating 1], [Rating 2], [Rating 3])
) as p

or you can pivot manually:

select
    ID,
    max(case when [Field Name] = 'Rating 1' then [Field Selection] end) as [Rating 1], 
    max(case when [Field Name] = 'Rating 2' then [Field Selection] end) as [Rating 2],
    max(case when [Field Name] = 'Rating 3' then [Field Selection] end) as [Rating 3]
from Table1
group by ID

sql fiddle demo

Query Transposing certain rows into column names

Here's a solution which generates and runs the dynamic SQL with a PIVOT:

DECLARE @pivot_list AS VARCHAR(MAX)

--
;
WITH    cols
          AS ( SELECT DISTINCT
                        'INCIDENT IN ' + LEFT(UPPER(CONVERT(VARCHAR, [date], 107)),
                                              3) + ' '
                        + SUBSTRING(UPPER(CONVERT(VARCHAR, [date], 107)), 9, 4) AS col
               FROM     so926209_2
             )
    SELECT  @pivot_list = COALESCE(@pivot_list + ', ', '') + '[' + col + ']'
    FROM    cols

--
DECLARE @template AS VARCHAR(MAX)
SET @template = 'WITH incidents AS (
SELECT  [user_id],
        incident_code,
        ''INCIDENT IN '' + LEFT(UPPER(CONVERT(VARCHAR, [date], 107)), 3)
        + '' '' + SUBSTRING(UPPER(CONVERT(VARCHAR, [date], 107)), 9, 4) AS col
FROM    so926209_2
)
,results AS (
SELECT * FROM incidents PIVOT (MAX(incident_code) FOR col IN ({@pivot_list})) AS pvt
)
SELECT results.[user_id]
    ,so926209_1.[name]
    ,{@select_list}
FROM results INNER JOIN so926209_1 ON so926209_1.[user_id] = results.[user_id]
'

DECLARE @sql AS VARCHAR(MAX)
SET @sql = REPLACE(REPLACE(@template, '{@pivot_list}', @pivot_list), '{@select_list}', @pivot_list)

--PRINT @sql
EXEC (@sql)

Where so926209_1, so926209_2 are your table 1 and table 2

Note that if you have multiple incidents in a month for the same person, your example doesn't show how you want that handled. This example only takes the last incident in the month.

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