use a variable instead of column name in SQL query

Hi all,

Can i replace a variable name instead of a column name in SELECT, UPDATE queries ?

I have three tables TABLE_A, TABLE_B and TABLE_C. The TABLE_C is having columns as table_name and column_name. The values for these columns would be :
for table_name: TABLE_A and column_name would have the data as column names of table TABLE_A.

Now I want to fetch records from TABLE_C which will return me a column name of TABLE_A and i want to compare the values of this column in tables TABLE_A and TABLE_B

I have the query as:
UPDATE EXTERNAL_CONTRACT_DIRTY
SET id_sts_download = 'A'
FROM TABLE_A ECD, TABLE_B EC
WHERE CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), ECD.dt_download,101)= @dt_download
AND ECD.id_sts_download = 'E'
AND ECD.@nm_col <> ECD.@nm_col

I am getting an error" invalid syntax near @nm_col". I have defined varibales @nm_col and @dt_download.

I am using SYBASE as database. Please can anyone help me in this.

Thanx in advance..

vikram

Redesign the data model. You shouldn't store meta data like that.

You can't treat columns and tables as being the same as variables in a programming language.

Hi,
I have the same problem. Did you find a solution?


Here is my code

SELECT @colValue = inserted.[@colName] FROM inserted


The error is: @colName is not a valid column name

Marco