Passing an array of parameters to a stored procedure

If you are using Sql Server 2008 or better, you can use something called a Table-Valued Parameter (TVP) instead of serializing & deserializing your list data every time you want to pass it to a stored procedure.

Let's start by creating a simple schema to serve as our playground:

CREATE DATABASE [TestbedDb]
GO


USE [TestbedDb]
GO

    /* First, setup the sample program's account & credentials*/
CREATE LOGIN [testbedUser] WITH PASSWORD=N'µ×?
?S[°¿Q­¥½q?_Ĭ¼Ð)3õļ%dv', DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master], DEFAULT_LANGUAGE=[us_english], CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF, CHECK_POLICY=ON
GO

CREATE USER [testbedUser] FOR LOGIN [testbedUser] WITH DEFAULT_SCHEMA=[dbo]
GO

EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_owner', N'testbedUser'
GO


    /* Now setup the schema */
CREATE TABLE dbo.Table1 ( t1Id INT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY );
GO

INSERT INTO dbo.Table1 (t1Id)
VALUES
    (1),
    (2),
    (3),
    (4),
    (5),
    (6),
    (7),
    (8),
    (9),
    (10);
GO

With our schema and sample data in place, we are now ready to create our TVP stored procedure:

CREATE TYPE T1Ids AS Table (
        t1Id INT
);
GO


CREATE PROCEDURE dbo.FindMatchingRowsInTable1( @Table1Ids AS T1Ids READONLY )
AS
BEGIN
        SET NOCOUNT ON;

        SELECT Table1.t1Id FROM dbo.Table1 AS Table1
        JOIN @Table1Ids AS paramTable1Ids ON Table1.t1Id = paramTable1Ids.t1Id;
END
GO

With both our schema and API in place, we can call the TVP stored procedure from our program like so:

        // Curry the TVP data
        DataTable t1Ids = new DataTable( );
        t1Ids.Columns.Add( "t1Id",
                           typeof( int ) );

        int[] listOfIdsToFind = new[] {1, 5, 9};
        foreach ( int id in listOfIdsToFind )
        {
            t1Ids.Rows.Add( id );
        }
        // Prepare the connection details
        SqlConnection testbedConnection =
                new SqlConnection(
                        @"Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Initial Catalog=TestbedDb;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=testbedUser;Password=letmein12;Connect Timeout=5" );

        try
        {
            testbedConnection.Open( );

            // Prepare a call to the stored procedure
            SqlCommand findMatchingRowsInTable1 = new SqlCommand( "dbo.FindMatchingRowsInTable1",
                                                                  testbedConnection );
            findMatchingRowsInTable1.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

            // Curry up the TVP parameter
            SqlParameter sqlParameter = new SqlParameter( "Table1Ids",
                                                          t1Ids );
            findMatchingRowsInTable1.Parameters.Add( sqlParameter );

            // Execute the stored procedure
            SqlDataReader sqlDataReader = findMatchingRowsInTable1.ExecuteReader( );

            while ( sqlDataReader.Read( ) )
            {
                Console.WriteLine( "Matching t1ID: {0}",
                                   sqlDataReader[ "t1Id" ] );
            }
        }
        catch ( Exception e )
        {
            Console.WriteLine( e.ToString( ) );
        }
  /* Output:
   * Matching t1ID: 1
   * Matching t1ID: 5
   * Matching t1ID: 9
   */

There is probably a less painful way to do this using a more abstract API, such as Entity Framework. However, I do not have the time to see for myself at this time.


this is the best source:

http://www.sommarskog.se/arrays-in-sql.html

create a split function using the link, and use it like:

DELETE YourTable
    FROM YourTable                           d
    LEFT OUTER JOIN dbo.splitFunction(@Parameter) s ON d.ID=s.Value
    WHERE s.Value IS NULL

I prefer the number table approach

This is code based on the above link that should do it for you...

Before you use my function, you need to set up a "helper" table, you only need to do this one time per database:

CREATE TABLE Numbers
(Number int  NOT NULL,
    CONSTRAINT PK_Numbers PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED (Number ASC)WITH (PAD_INDEX  = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE  = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS  = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS  = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]
DECLARE @x int
SET @x=0
WHILE @x<8000
BEGIN
    SET @x=@x+1
    INSERT INTO Numbers VALUES (@x)
END

use this function to split your string, which does not loop and is very fast:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[FN_ListToTable]
(
     @SplitOn              char(1)              --REQUIRED, the character to split the @List string on
    ,@List                 varchar(8000)        --REQUIRED, the list to split apart
)
RETURNS
@ParsedList table
(
    ListValue varchar(500)
)
AS
BEGIN

/**
Takes the given @List string and splits it apart based on the given @SplitOn character.
A table is returned, one row per split item, with a column name "ListValue".
This function workes for fixed or variable lenght items.
Empty and null items will not be included in the results set.


Returns a table, one row per item in the list, with a column name "ListValue"

EXAMPLE:
----------
SELECT * FROM dbo.FN_ListToTable(',','1,12,123,1234,54321,6,A,*,|||,,,,B')

    returns:
        ListValue  
        -----------
        1
        12
        123
        1234
        54321
        6
        A
        *
        |||
        B

        (10 row(s) affected)

**/



----------------
--SINGLE QUERY-- --this will not return empty rows
----------------
INSERT INTO @ParsedList
        (ListValue)
    SELECT
        ListValue
        FROM (SELECT
                  LTRIM(RTRIM(SUBSTRING(List2, number+1, CHARINDEX(@SplitOn, List2, number+1)-number - 1))) AS ListValue
                  FROM (
                           SELECT @SplitOn + @List + @SplitOn AS List2
                       ) AS dt
                      INNER JOIN Numbers n ON n.Number < LEN(dt.List2)
                  WHERE SUBSTRING(List2, number, 1) = @SplitOn
             ) dt2
        WHERE ListValue IS NOT NULL AND ListValue!=''



RETURN

END --Function FN_ListToTable

you can use this function as a table in a join:

SELECT
    Col1, COl2, Col3...
    FROM  YourTable
        INNER JOIN dbo.FN_ListToTable(',',@YourString) s ON  YourTable.ID = s.ListValue

here is your delete:

DELETE YourTable
    FROM YourTable                                d
    LEFT OUTER JOIN dbo.FN_ListToTable(',',@Parameter) s ON d.ID=s.ListValue
    WHERE s.ListValue IS NULL

Use a stored procedure:

EDIT: A complement for serialize List (or anything else):

List<string> testList = new List<int>();

testList.Add(1);
testList.Add(2);
testList.Add(3);

XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(List<int>));
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
xs.Serialize(ms, testList);

string resultXML = UTF8Encoding.UTF8.GetString(ms.ToArray());

The result (ready to use with XML parameter):

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ArrayOfInt xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <int>1</int>
  <int>2</int>
  <int>3</int>
</ArrayOfInt>

ORIGINAL POST:

Passing XML as parameter:

<ids>
    <id>1</id>
    <id>2</id>
</ids>

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[DeleteAllData]
(
    @XMLDoc XML
)
AS
BEGIN

DECLARE @handle INT

EXEC sp_xml_preparedocument @handle OUTPUT, @XMLDoc

DELETE FROM
    YOURTABLE
WHERE
    YOUR_ID_COLUMN NOT IN (
        SELECT * FROM OPENXML (@handle, '/ids/id') WITH (id INT '.') 
    )
EXEC sp_xml_removedocument @handle