How to Retrieve Multiple Result Sets from a Stored Procedure

• Professional and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic, 16-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0
• Microsoft Access for Windows, version 2.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft Access version 2.0 for Windows introduced a new type of SQL-specific Query called a SQL pass-through (SPT) query. This query allows you to execute SQL commands that are specific to a back-end database server such as Microsoft SQL Server. It also lets you group or batch multiple SQL statements that return multiple result sets or execute a stored procedure on the server that returns multiple result sets.

The information in this article demonstrates how to take advantage of this new query type to execute a batch of SQL statements that select multiple result sets into temporary tables, which you can then open and modify within your Visual Basic program.

MORE INFORMATION

A SPT query is one that is not parsed by the Microsoft Jet database engine but is instead passed directly to an ODBC back end for processing. SPT queries can be used to execute server-specific functionality such as stored procedures.

There are two types of SQL pass-through queries: row-returning and non-row-returning. Non-row-returning pass-through queries are those that do not return a result set such as a data-definition query. Row-returning pass- through queries are those that return a result set and can be used like any other query.

If a pass-through query can return multiple result sets, as can some stored procedure executions, then a Make-Table query can be placed on top of the SPT query to retrieve the multiple result sets. For example, suppose you have an SPT query called [Get_Multiple_Results] that returns three separate result sets. If you create a Make-Table query on top of the [Get_Multiple_Results] query, three tables are created as a result of executing that query.

Listed below are two properties associated with an SQL pass-through query:

• ODBCConnectStr, which is a string that contains the full ODBC connect string for connecting to the ODBC.
• ReturnsRecords, which you set to True if the query returns a result set and False if it does not.

Step-by-Step Example

This example shows you how to create temporary tables in a local Microsoft Access database by selecting multiple results from the Pubs sample database on Microsoft SQL Server.

1. Create the following stored procedure in the Pubs sample database on Microsoft SQL Server:

   CREATE PROC mod_authors AS SELECT dbo.authors.* FROM dbo.authors WHERE dbo.authors.state='CA' UPDATE dbo.authors SET dbo.authors.state='CA'

         where dbo.authors.state='UT'
   

   SELECT dbo.authors.* FROM dbo.authors WHERE dbo.authors.state='CA'

   This code selects data from the authors table, changes the state for authors who live in Utah to California, and then selects the data again to verify that the records have been updated.

2. Using Microsoft Access version 2.0, create a new database, and name it MULTRES.MDB. In this database, create an SQL pass-through query with the following SQL statement:

         mod_authors;
   

   Save this query giving it the name "BatchQuery"; remember to set the ODBCConnectStr and the ReturnRecords properties appropriately.

   NOTE: For more information on how to create an SQL pass-through query, please refer to pages 292-294 in the "Microsoft Access User's Guide."

3. In Visual Basic, start a new project (ALT, F, N). Form1 is created by default.

4. Add a Grid control (Grid1) and a command button (Command1) to the form.

5. Add the following code to the Click event of Command1:

      Private Sub Command1_Click ()
         Dim db As Database
         Dim tb As RecordSet
         Dim tmpv As Variant
         Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
   
         On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
   
         ' Open the Microsoft Access version 2.0 .MDB database that contains
         '  the SQL pass-through query. Be sure to enter the proper directory.
         Set db = Workspace(0).OpenDatabase("C:\ACCESS\MULTRES.MDB")
   
         ' Loop through tables and delete any temp tables that
         '  are created by executing the Pass-Through query:
         i = 0
         Do While i < db.TableDefs.Count
            If InStr(UCase$(Trim(db.TableDefs(i).Name)), "TMPTABLE") Then
               db.TableDefs.Delete db.TableDefs(i).Name
               i = 0
            Else
               i = i + 1
            End If
         Loop
   
         ' Execute the SQL pass-through query BatchQuery. Because the query
         '  contains multiple SQL statements, the temporary tables are created
         '  here.
         db.Execute("Select BatchQuery.* into tmpTable from BatchQuery;")
   
         ' Refresh the table list:
         db.TableDefs.Refresh
   
         ' Initialize grid:
         Grid1.Rows = 2
         Grid1.Cols = 2
         Grid1.Row = 1
         Grid1.Col = 1
   
         ' Loop through all of the tabledefs in the .MDB file and look for the
         '  ones created by the stored procedure:
         For i = 0 To db.TableDefs.Count - 1
            If InStr(UCase$(Trim(db.TableDefs(i).Name)), "TMPTABLE") Then
               Set tb = db.OpenRecordSet(db.TableDefs(i).Name, dbOpenTable)
               ' See if this result set has more columns than present:
               If Grid1.Cols <= tb.Fields.Count Then
                  Grid1.Cols = tb.Fields.Count + 1
               End If
   
               ' Get the column headings:
               For j = 0 To tb.Fields.Count - 1
                  Grid1.Col = j + 1
                  Grid1.Text = tb.Fields(j).SourceField
               Next j
   
               ' Load the grid:
               Grid1.Rows = Grid1.Rows + 1
               Grid1.Row = Grid1.Rows - 1
               Do While Not tb.EOF
                  For j = 0 To tb.Fields.Count - 1
                     ' Check for NULLs:
                     tmpv = tb.Fields(j).Value: If IsNull(tmpv) Then tmpv = ""
                     Grid1.Col = j + 1
   
                     ' Check column width and adjust as necessary.
                     ' Make sure form and grid have the same font properties:
                  If Grid1.ColWidth(Grid1.Col) < Me.TextWidth(CStr(tmpv)) Then
                     Grid1.ColWidth(Grid1.Col) = Me.TextWidth(CStr(tmpv))
                  End If
   
                     ' Assign the value:
                     Grid1.Text = UCase$(Trim(CStr(tmpv)))
                  Next j
   
                  ' Move to the next record:
                  Grid1.Rows = Grid1.Rows + 1
                  Grid1.Row = Grid1.Rows - 1
                  tb.MoveNext
               Loop
   
               ' Close current table:
               tb.Close
               Grid1.Rows = Grid1.Rows + 1
               Grid1.Row = Grid1.Rows - 1
            End If
         Next i
         db.Close
         Exit Sub
   
   

      If Err <> 0 Then
         MsgBox Error$
      End If
      Exit Sub

   End Sub