patternsqlMinor

Use random string variable in a insert

Submitted by: @import:stackexchange-dba·Mar 10, 2026·

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randominsertusevariablestring

Problem

This is one of my first tries to code something. I'm trying to develop a code, to add first name, last name, and date, randomly.

I have this for now:

declare @date date,
        @val1 int,
        @val2 int
set @date = convert(date,dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * -1, getdate()))

    insert into tblexecution ( fname,lname,brtday )
    values ('name1','Name2',@date)

This way, I need to change manually the name1 and name2.

is there a way to use, values of another table, in a variable, for this table? I don't know how to explain it but I have a table called Adventureworks2008.person.person (you guys know this database) with a lot of random names ( Fields > FirstName,LastName ), and I want to use this values, in my @val1 and @val2 variables, to be something like this:

declare @date date,
        @val1 int,
        @val2 int
set @date = convert(date,dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * -1,
 getdate()))

    insert into tblexecution ( fname,lname,brtday )
    values (@val1,@val2,@date)

so I just loop ( or press f5 a lot ).

Edit1:

With this, I have at least a random int:

select right(rand(),2)

Edit2:

I could do this, But I think this is a poor job:

insert into  execution..tblexecution
select distinct  firstname, lastname,
    convert(date,dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * -1,getdate())) as brtday
    from adventureworks2008.person.person

Edit3:

I could make this:

declare @date date,
        @val1 nvarchar(200),
        @val2 nvarchar(200)
set @date = convert(date,dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * -1, getdate()));
set @val1=(select  top 1 firstname
               from adventureworks2008.person.person
              order by newid() );
set @val2=(select top 1 lastname
               from adventureworks2008.person.person
              order by newid() )

    insert into tblexecution ( fname,lname,brtday )
    values (@val1,@val2,@date)

is this the best

Solution

insert into dbo.tblexecution (
     fname
    ,lname
    ,brtday
)
select top 100 
     [FirstName]
    ,[LastName]
    ,convert(date, dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * - 1, getdate()))
from [AdventureWorks2008R2].[Person].[Person]
order by newid()

Code Snippets

insert into dbo.tblexecution (
     fname
    ,lname
    ,brtday
)
select top 100 
     [FirstName]
    ,[LastName]
    ,convert(date, dateadd(day, (abs(CHECKSUM(newid())) % 3650) * - 1, getdate()))
from [AdventureWorks2008R2].[Person].[Person]
order by newid()

Context

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#115810, answer score: 3

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