SQL server stored procedure return a table

I have a stored procedure that takes in two parameters. I can execute it successfully in Server Management Studio. It shows me the results which are as I expect. However it also returns a Return Value.

It has added this line,

 SELECT 'Return Value' = @return_value

I would like the stored procedure to return the table it shows me in the results not the return value as I am calling this stored procedure from MATLAB and all it returns is true or false.

Do I need to specify in my stored procedure what it should return? If so how do I specify a table of 4 columns (varchar(10), float, float, float)?

Solution 1:

A procedure can't return a table as such. However you can select from a table in a procedure and direct it into a table (or table variable) like this:

create procedure p_x
as
begin
declare @t table(col1 varchar(10), col2 float, col3 float, col4 float)
insert @t values('a', 1,1,1)
insert @t values('b', 2,2,2)

select * from @t
end
go

declare @t table(col1 varchar(10), col2 float, col3 float, col4 float)
insert @t
exec p_x

select * from @t

Solution 2:

I do this frequently using Table Types to ensure more consistency and simplify code. You can't technically return "a table", but you can return a result set and using INSERT INTO .. EXEC ... syntax, you can clearly call a PROC and store the results into a table type. In the following example I'm actually passing a table into a PROC along with another param I need to add logic, then I'm effectively "returning a table" and can then work with that as a table variable.

/****** Check if my table type and/or proc exists and drop them ******/
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE type = 'P' AND name = 'returnTableTypeData')
DROP PROCEDURE returnTableTypeData
GO
IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.types WHERE is_table_type = 1 AND name = 'myTableType')
DROP TYPE myTableType
GO

/****** Create the type that I'll pass into the proc and return from it ******/
CREATE TYPE [dbo].[myTableType] AS TABLE(
    [someInt] [int] NULL,
    [somenVarChar] [nvarchar](100) NULL
)
GO

CREATE PROC returnTableTypeData
    @someInputInt INT,
    @myInputTable myTableType READONLY --Must be readonly because
AS
BEGIN

    --Return the subset of data consistent with the type
    SELECT
        *
    FROM
        @myInputTable
    WHERE
        someInt < @someInputInt

END
GO


DECLARE @myInputTableOrig myTableType
DECLARE @myUpdatedTable myTableType

INSERT INTO @myInputTableOrig ( someInt,somenVarChar )
VALUES ( 0, N'Value 0' ), ( 1, N'Value 1' ), ( 2, N'Value 2' )

INSERT INTO @myUpdatedTable EXEC returnTableTypeData @someInputInt=1, @myInputTable=@myInputTableOrig

SELECT * FROM @myUpdatedTable


DROP PROCEDURE returnTableTypeData
GO
DROP TYPE myTableType
GO