insert semi-colon

Hi. I need to insert a semicolon into one of my fields in a sql server 2000 database. I have a height column and i was trying to insert height. i know i can't insert 4'5" b/c of the apostrophe and double quote, so i was trying to insert it like: 4'7"now i'm running into a problem with the semicolons. how can i insert the semicolons? thanks!

edit:
aparently this is removing the same things: here's what i'm talking about:
http://www.thoughtreactor.com/img-0009.pnginsert into theTable (theColumn) values (';');
Where is the problem?|||Hi. I need to insert a semicolon into one of my fields in a sql server 2000 database. I have a height column and i was trying to insert height. i know i can't insert 4'5" b/c of the apostrophe and double quote, so i was trying to insert it like: 4'7"now i'm running into a problem with the semicolons. how can i insert the semicolons? thanks!

edit:
aparently this is removing the same things: here's what i'm talking about:
http://www.thoughtreactor.com/img-0009.png

Read up on escape characters in BOL.


create table #specialk (colid int identity, char_desc varchar(20), special_char varchar(10))
insert into #specialk (char_desc, special_char)
SELECT 'APOSTROPHE', ''''
UNION
SELECT 'QUOTE', '"'
UNION
SELECT 'SEMICOLON', ';'
UNION
SELECT 'Height', '4'' 7"'
SELECT * FROM #specialk order by colid
drop table #specialk
-- OUTPUT
colid char_desc special_char
---- ------- ----
1 APOSTROPHE '
2 Height 4' 7"
3 QUOTE "
4 SEMICOLON ;
(4 row(s) affected)|||i have a dropdown menu where the user selects the height. it looks like the picture i posted above. whenever it inputs the value, it says i have an error and it's near the semicolon.|||It looks like you are not inserting the data with escape characters ... go read and play with escape characters.

I've pointed you toward a solution - I'm not going to solve it for you.

I'm showing you how to fish ... not filleting it for you.|||It looks like you are not inserting the data with escape characters ... go read and play with escape characters.

I've pointed you toward a solution - I'm not going to solve it for you.

I'm showing you how to fish ... not filleting it for you.
well, i fiddled with it for a little while and had no luck so I decided to take the step and re-normalize my database and just have a separate table for the height description. but thank you for pointing me in the right direction!|||also, it might make sense for you to store height in inches only, in an int column, rather than a combination of feet and inches in a char column. Then you could easily do things like sort by height, etc.

your client app could easily convert the number 65 to 5' 5" if that's the requirement.

using a character type to store what's really a number is a bad design.|||also, it might make sense for you to store height in inches only, in an int column, rather than a combination of feet and inches in a char column. Then you could easily do things like sort by height, etc.

your client app could easily convert the number 65 to 5' 5" if that's the requirement.

using a character type to store what's really a number is a bad design.
that's exactly what i did. at first i started out with 4'7" but i thought what if we wanted to find the average height of people? so i decided to put it in inches. thanks for your help though!|||Well then you wouldn't be storing "display" data.

Either, store the height in decimal form, or use 2 columns, 1 for feet and one for inches|||I would never use two columns for the same measure, in this case a length. sorting would not work at all if someone puts 0 for the feet and 100 for the inches...

if 2 columns is good, why not 4 columns? one for hands, one for furlongs, one for fathoms, one for millimeters?

use one column, and make it a number. fine to use a decimal if you care about fractions of inches. here's a tip: include the units in the name of the column so it's crystal clear: HeightInches|||It's all about using parameterised queries/statements in your client. I'd read up on that even in preference to escape characters which you rarely need to bother with.
FWIW I agree that you should be storing inches only. Is 4'7" really less than 6"? It is if you store it as a varchar and order by height.
Personally I'd use cm ;)|||Personally I'd use cm
Me as well, or mm if it should be accurate