>Borislav,
>
>I'm trying to avoid 1) replicating the really complex query in two places (either SP_1Count and SP_1, or twice inside SP_1, 2) the work involved with a creating a #temp table with the structure of the complex query, 3) the wasted throughput sending the large first result set to the web server when only the count is wanted.
>
>>How about in first SP:
>>

>>DECLARE @MyRowCount int
>>SELECT @MyRowCount = SELECT COUNT(*) --- a really complex query
>>RETURN @MyRowCount
>>

>>Seraching for better method ...

O, I see, you need both S Ps but sometimes you need only @@ROWCOUNT from S P 1, and you don't want to use Table variables. I'm thinking, I'm thinking... :-)