in stored procedure:
select CH.PrimaryKey, CH.Name,
NULL "CustomerHeader"
from CustomerHeader "CH";
--
select CD.PrimaryKey, CD.ShipTo,
NULL "CustomerDetail"
from CustomerDetail "CD";
--
select *, NULL "Orders"
from OrderTable;
in Vb.Net code:
Dim ds As DataSet = Nothing
ds = SqlExecute();
Dim dtCustHeader As DataTable = Nothing
Dim dtCustDetail As DataTable = Nothing
Dim dtOrders As DataTable = Nothing
For Each dt As DataTable In ds.tables
Select Case True
Case dt.Columns.Contains("CustomerHeader")
dtCustHeader = dt
Case dt.Columns.Contains("CustomerDetail")
dtCustDetail = dt
Case dt.Columns.Contains("Orders")
dtOrders = dt
End Select
Next
Kinda SILLY (OR STUPID) that you cannot name tables in a result set.
But this gets you there without a HUGE byte count repeating the table name within each row.
There is still overhead passing the NULL value back for each row. Perhaps passing a BIT value would be smaller yet...
And an alternative is to always use column(0):
in SQL:
select NULL "CustomerDetail", CustName,Addr1,Addr2... from CustomerDetail;
in vb.net:
Dim ds As DataSet = Nothing
ds = SqlExecute();
Dim dtCustHeader As DataTable = Nothing
Dim dtCustDetail As DataTable = Nothing
Dim dtOrders As DataTable = Nothing
For Each dt As DataTable In ds.Tables
Dim tblName As String = dt.Columns(0).ColumnName
Select Case tblName.ToUpper
Case "CUSTOMERDETAIL" : dtCustHeader = dt
Case "CUSTOMERDETAIL" : dtCustDetail = dt
Case "ORDERS" : dtOrders = dt
End Select
Next
These methods get your table-names even if the query returns zero rows.
but the best for last... a way to actually name the tables in the dataset automatically, every time FROM SQL STORED PROCEDURE (with help from your code):
Dim ds As DataSet = Nothing
ds = SqlExecute();
For Each dt As DataTable In ds.Tables
dt.TableName = dt.Columns(0).ColumnName
Next
After this, you may access your tables with the name YOU control within the stored procedure... as it should have been from day-one!
EDIT: selective implementation:
Name the first column in the pattern "TN:Customer".
Your legacy stored procedures work normally, only impacting the stored procedures you wish to modify.
For Each dt As DataTable In mo_LastDataset.Tables
Dim tblName() As String = dt.Columns(0).ColumnName.Split(":")
If tblName.Length >= 2 AndAlso tblName(0).ToUpper = "TN" Then
dt.TableName = tblName(1)
End If
Next
... david ...