SQL | Parameters and return values exercise | Using Return Values

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The answer to the exercise will be included and explained if you attend one of more of the courses listed below!

Software ==> SQL  (198 exercises)
Version ==> Any version of SQL Server
Topic ==> Parameters and return values  (11 exercises)
Level ==> Average difficulty
Courses ==> Fast-track SQL  /  Advanced SQL
Before you can do this exercise, you'll need to download and unzip this file (if you have any problems doing this, click here for help). Once you've done this:
  1. Go into SQL Server Management Studio;
  2. Open the SQL file you've just unzipped (you can press CTRL + O to do this); then
  3. Execute this script.

This will generate the database that you'll need to use in order to do this exercise (note that the database and script are only to be used for exercises published on this website, and may not be reused or distributed in any form without the prior written permission of Wise Owl).

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In this exercise you should create a stored procedure to calculate the difference in length between the longest and shortest EventName, then return this difference and show it in a message:

Using Min and Max to return information.

You can use the LEN function to find the length of each EventName, and MAX(LEN(EventName)) and MIN(LEN(EventName)) to find the longest and shortest names.

First create a stored procedure that:

  • uses the MIN and MAX functions as above to work out the longest and shortest EventName;
  •  takes one from the other and stores the answer in a variable; then
  • uses RETURN to return the value of this variable.
Return value

Watch out: RETURN can only bring back a single INT - nothing else!

Now DECLARE a new variable in the same window as your EXEC command. The script to put the RETURN value into the variable can be tricky.

Return INT Variable

This takes the RETURN value from the stored procedure and stores it in this script.

Finally concatenate your returned value into a string of text and re-run the script to display a similar message to the one shown at the start of this exercise.

Optionally save all this as How much longer.sql and then close it down.

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