SQL 2012 - SearchAllTables for datetime Stored procedure

Question

I'm trying to create a stored procedure that will search all user created tables of a database for a search string.

I found this stored procedure that I'd like to start off with and build on.

http://vyaskn.tripod.com/search_all_columns_in_all_tables.htm

The only problem is entering a datetime into the search will always return nothing.

How can I modify this to search for dates as well?

Lines of interest:

CREATE PROC SearchAllTables
@SearchStr nvarchar(100)
AS
     ....
    SET @SearchStr2 = CASE WHEN ISDATE(@SearchStr)=0
                  THEN QUOTENAME('%' + @SearchStr + '%','''')
                  ELSE @SearchStr END
     ....


    --Here's where the comparison is made. This comparison works for string and numeric types but not      datetime
     DECLARE @sql nvarchar(max)

            IF ISDATE(@SearchStr) = 0       
            BEGIN
                SET @sql = 'INSERT INTO #Results SELECT ''' + @TableName + '.' + @ColumnName + ''', LEFT(' + @ColumnName + ', 3630) 
                    FROM ' + @TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
                    ' WHERE ' + @ColumnName + ' LIKE ' + @SearchStr2
            END
            ELSE IF ISDATE(@SearchStr) = 1  
            BEGIN
                SET @sql = 'INSERT INTO #Results SELECT ''' + @TableName + '.' + @ColumnName + ''', LEFT(' + @ColumnName + ', 3630) 
                    FROM ' + @TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
                    ' WHERE DATEDIFF(day, CONVERT(datetime, '+ @ColumnName + ', 103), ' + @SearchStr+ ') = 0'   
            END

            PRINT @sql
            EXEC sp_ExecuteSQL @sql 
GO

I get a conversion error. I need this stored procedure to work with all 3 types of data string, numeric, and date.

Conversion failed when converting date and/or time from character string.

Thank you

Answer 1

your date field is a datetime?

you should traet it like this:

declare @SearchStr datetime
set @SearchStr = convert(datetime, '2012-09-10', 103) –- dd/mm/yyyy

and the where part like this:

'WHERE  Datediff(day, CONVERT(datetime, '+ @ColumnName + ', 103), ' + @SearchStr+') = 0'

I think this should work

Answer 2

If the search string is a date then you have to do an explicit conversion. Otherwise string will not match with datetime.

Try something like this.

SET @SearchStr2 = CASE WHEN ISDATE(@SearchStr)=1 
  THEN CONVERT(datetime,@SearchStr,103)
  ELSE QUOTENAME('%' + @SearchStr + '%','''') END

Hope this will help you.

Answer 3

ElVieejo's answer was correct but for it to finally work I also needed to SET @ColumnName conditionally (depending IF ISDATE(@SearchStr) ). If @SearchStr is a date, the inner query of SET @ColumnName had to EXCLUDE all types except the 'datetime' under "DATA_TYPE IN ('datetime')".