data comparison

[chlorineKid]

Hi all, I'm looking for ideas on how to approach the following:

I've got a table in a SQL server database which has a whole lot of person information in it. This table needs to be "cleaned" so that the suburb and city fields are in a very specific format. There is a file with the fields in the correct format. What would be the best way to do this using SQL? I'd like to without using cursors if possible.

TIA,
CK [sig][/sig]

 

[MikeLacey]

Hmmm. Cursors are pretty good at this sort of thing. Why don't you want to use one? [sig]<p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>Making mistakes, so you don't have to. &lt;grin&gt;[/sig]

 

[chlorineKid]

Because the performance on them is often extremely slow.
But of course if they are the only way to solve the problem I guess I'll have to live with it
CK


[sig][/sig]

 

[MikeLacey]

Ok. Interesting. I think of cursors as something I use to improve performance... I use them only in stored procedures mind you, and I'm an oracle chap really. [sig]<p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>Making mistakes, so you don't have to. &lt;grin&gt;[/sig]