Listing 2: Cursor Code for Distinct String Concatenation

-- Note: In SQL Server 2000, use VARCHAR(8000) instead of VARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE
  @Result TABLE(CustomerID NCHAR(5), ArrEmps VARCHAR(MAX));
DECLARE
  @CustomerID AS NCHAR(10), @PrvCustomerID AS NCHAR(10),
  @EmployeeID AS INT, @ArrEmps AS VARCHAR(MAX);
DECLARE C CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
  SELECT DISTINCT CustomerID, EmployeeID
  FROM dbo.Orders
  ORDER BY CustomerID, EmployeeID;

OPEN C
FETCH NEXT FROM C INTO @CustomerID, @EmployeeID;
SELECT @PrvCustomerID = @CustomerID, @ArrEmps = '';
WHILE @@fetch_status = 0
BEGIN
  IF @CustomerID <> @PrvCustomerID
  BEGIN
    INSERT INTO @Result
      VALUES(@PrvCustomerID, STUFF(@ArrEmps, 1, 1, ''));
    SELECT @PrvCustomerID = @CustomerID, @ArrEmps = '';
  END
  SET @ArrEmps = @ArrEmps + ',' + CAST(@EmployeeID AS VARCHAR(MAX));
  
  FETCH NEXT FROM C INTO @CustomerID, @EmployeeID;
END
IF @PrvCustomerID IS NOT NULL
  INSERT INTO @Result
    VALUES(@PrvCustomerID, STUFF(@ArrEmps, 1, 1, ''));
CLOSE C;
DEALLOCATE C;

SELECT CustomerID, ArrEmps FROM @Result;