I think, if this approach - dynamically parsing the XML file and creating a INSERT - will only take about a day of my time. So a day of time (even if I have to change it later) will not be a huge waste (on top, I will learn something). But if it works, it will buy me time to work on a better approach. Keep in mind that what I am doing now in SQL Server is driven by tons of code (right or wrong) that I created in my ASP.NET application. So it is not only changing the SQL Server stored procedure but a lot more.

>That's wrong way to go about it. You'll waste your time on converios to only realize at the end that is not going to work well or at all.
>
>>You could be right but I am trying to "convert" the code that works with VFP stored procedure to the SQL Server. My goal is to make it work first (as crude as it may be) and then trying to enhance it. If I do it "right" in SQL Server, I am concerned that my VFP code will be broken.
>>
>>>If you need to do that in SP than most likely you are not doing it right.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>In a stored procedure I have a hard coded Insert expression:
>>>>

>>>>insert into mytable (col1, col2, col3) values (@Val4Col1, @Val4Col2, @Val4Col3)
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>Since the list of columns and values has to be built dynamically, I need to be able to create
>>>>this expression based on variables. E.g.
>>>>

>>>>declare @FieldNames as varchar(max)
>>>>set @FieldNames = 'col1, col2, col3'
>>>>-- and I can't even figure how to concatinate the list of values into a variable
>>>>

>>>>
>>>>So, is it possible to create a variable for list of values and then combine it with the variable for the list of columns and
>>>>execute the INSERT? TIA.