SQL: Expanding a row with start/end into individual rows

Question

Hello

I have a records like this:

start, end , total  
 830 , 1300,   5
 1400, 1430,   2

that I'd like to expand to:

instance , total  
  830    ,   5
  831    ,   5
  832    ,   5
  ...
  1299   ,   5
  1300   ,   5

  1400   ,   2
  1401   ,   2
  ...
  1429   ,   2
  1430   ,   2

How can I do this using SQL in MSSQL 2005?

EDIT: thanks everyone, great answers. Got a few to work. I just forgot to say though that the start/end was really a time stored as an int, so 0830 to 1300 should go upto 0859 then 0900. I can't expect you guys to answer that in this same question, i'll work around it. Thanks again

Answer 1

This should do the trick:

create table input (start int, [end] int, total int)

insert input values (830, 1300, 5)
insert input values (1400, 1430, 2)

declare @output table (instance int, start int, [end] int, total int)

insert @output select start, start, [end], total from input

while @@rowcount > 0
    insert @output
    select
        max(instance) + 1,
        start,
        [end],
        total
    from @output
    group by
        start,
        [end],
        total
    having max(instance) < [end]

select instance, total from @output order by instance

This outputs the same (untruncated) results as you described in the question.

There might be some fancy CTE approach but I don't think that could work since you'd need an indefinite amount of recursion.

Answer 2

Assuming there is a finite max to your END values, you can use a numbers table (change the 2000 I used to be your max END value):

declare @Test table (
    start int,
    [end] int,
    total int
)

insert into @Test
    (start, [end], total)
    select 830, 1300, 5
    union
    select 1400, 1430, 2

;WITH Nbrs ( n ) AS (
        SELECT 1 UNION ALL
        SELECT 1 + n FROM Nbrs WHERE n < 2000
)
select n.n, t.total
    from @Test t
        cross join Nbrs n
    where n.n between t.start and t.[end]
    option (MAXRECURSION 2000)

Answer 3

Using a CTE:

with number_cte(n) as 
 (select n from (select 0 n) m union all select n+1 n
  from number_cte where n< 2400)
select start+n instance, total
from 
datatable
join number_cte on start+n between start and [end]
where start+n - 100*floor((start+n)/100) between 0 and 59
order by 1
option (maxrecursion 2401)

(Increase n< ... and maxrecursion numbers as appropriate, if ranges greater than 2400 are required.)

Edited to prevent non-valid Instance (ie. time values ending between 60 and 99) values being included.