SQL Server: Examples of PIVOTing String data

pivot, sql-server, t-sql

Solution

Remember that the MAX aggregate function will work on text as well as numbers. This query will only require the table to be scanned once.

SELECT Action,
       MAX( CASE data WHEN 'View' THEN data ELSE '' END ) ViewCol, 
       MAX( CASE data WHEN 'Edit' THEN data ELSE '' END ) EditCol
 FROM t
 GROUP BY Action

Problem

Trying to find some simple SQL Server PIVOT examples. Most of the examples that I have found involve counting or summing up numbers. I just want to pivot some string data. For example, I have a query returning the following. ``` Action1 VIEW Action1 EDIT Action2 VIEW Action3 VIEW Action3 EDIT ``` I would like to use PIVOT (if even possible) to make the results like so: ``` Action1 VIEW EDIT Action2 VIEW NULL Action3 VIEW EDIT ``` Is this even possible with the PIVOT functionality?

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