How Can I Best Assign the Results of an SQL `EXEC` Call to a Variable?

Assigning Exec Results to SQL Variables

In SQL, it is often necessary to assign the result of an exec call to a variable. While the syntax provided may seem intuitive, it is not the recommended approach.

Alternative Approaches

Instead of directly assigning the exec result to a variable, consider the following alternatives:

Output Parameters

Output parameters allow you to pass a value back from a stored procedure to the calling statement. In the stored procedure, you define the output parameter and assign it a value. In the calling statement, you specify the output parameter as an output parameter using the OUTPUT keyword.

Return Value

The return value of a stored procedure can be used to indicate the success or failure of the operation. You can use the return value to set a variable in the calling statement.

Example

Here is an example of using an output parameter to achieve the desired functionality:

Stored Procedure:

CREATE PROCEDURE YourStoredProcedure
(
    @Param1 int,
    @Param2 varchar(5),
    @Param3 datetime OUTPUT
)
AS
    IF @Param1 > 5
    BEGIN
        SET @Param3 = GETDATE()
    END
    ELSE
    BEGIN
        SET @Param3 = '1/1/2010'
    END

    RETURN 0
GO

Calling Statement:

DECLARE @OutputParameter datetime
       ,@ReturnValue     int

EXEC @ReturnValue = YourStoredProcedure 1, NULL, @OutputParameter OUTPUT

PRINT @ReturnValue
PRINT CONVERT(char(23), @OutputParameter, 121)

Output:

0
2010-01-01 00:00:00.000

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