How to Print a VARCHAR(MAX) Value in SQL Server When it Exceeds a Single PRINT Statement's Capacity?

Handling Long VARCHAR(MAX) Values in SQL Server PRINT Statements

The challenge lies in printing a VARCHAR(MAX) value exceeding the single PRINT statement's capacity in SQL Server. The length of the string is variable, demanding a solution that dynamically adjusts the number of print statements.

This improved approach uses a loop to break the large string into manageable chunks for printing:

<code class="language-sql">DECLARE @Script VARCHAR(MAX);
SELECT @Script = definition 
FROM sys.sql_modules sq
WHERE sq.object_id = OBJECT_ID('usp_gen_data'); -- Assuming 'usp_gen_data' is a stored procedure

DECLARE @Pos INT, @ChunkSize INT;
SET @ChunkSize = 8000; -- Adjust chunk size as needed

SET @Pos = 1;
WHILE @Pos <= LEN(@Script)
BEGIN
    PRINT SUBSTRING(@Script, @Pos, @ChunkSize);
    SET @Pos = @Pos + @ChunkSize;
END;</code>

Explanation:

• The code first retrieves the VARCHAR(MAX) value (here, assumed to be the definition of a stored procedure named usp_gen_data) into the @Script variable.
• @ChunkSize determines the maximum length of each printed segment (8000 characters is a common safe value).
• A WHILE loop iteratively prints substrings of @Script. SUBSTRING(@Script, @Pos, @ChunkSize) extracts a chunk starting at position @Pos with length @ChunkSize.
• @Pos is updated after each iteration to move to the next chunk. The loop continues until the entire string is printed.

This method efficiently handles strings of any length, avoiding truncation and dynamically adapting to the string's size. Remember to replace 'usp_gen_data' with the actual name of your object.

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