sql server - Comma separated results in SQL

Question

I have the following code which will create a comma delimited list for my results:

DECLARE @listStr VARCHAR(MAX)
SELECT @listStr = COALESCE(@listStr+', ' ,'') + INSTITUTIONNAME
FROM EDUCATION
WHERE STUDENTNUMBER= '111'
SELECT @listStr

The problem is its creating one massive comma delimited line. I need it to return a comma separated list per row.

So if Simon has been part of 2 institutions, then i expect:

"INSTITUTION1, INSTITUTION2"

As i didnt supply a where clause i expect my results to show up like this for each row in the database.

Answer 1

Use FOR XML PATH('') - which is converting the entries to a comma separated string and STUFF() -which is to trim the first comma- as follows Which gives you the same comma separated result

SELECT  STUFF((SELECT  ',' + INSTITUTIONNAME
            FROM EDUCATION EE
            WHERE  EE.STUDENTNUMBER=E.STUDENTNUMBER
            ORDER BY sortOrder
            FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE).value('text()[1]','nvarchar(max)')
           , 1, LEN(','), '') AS listStr

FROM EDUCATION E
GROUP BY E.STUDENTNUMBER

Here is the FIDDLE