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Description

Error 1286, `ERR_SQLSCRIPT_CURSOR_SELECT_STMT`, indicates a fundamental issue with the declaration of a cursor within an SAP HANA SQLScript procedure, function, or anonymous block. It signifies that a cursor variable has been used without being explicitly associated with a valid SELECT statement, which is essential for defining the data set the cursor will iterate over.

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Error Message

ERR_SQLSCRIPT_CURSOR_SELECT_STMT: Cursor must be declared by SELECT statement

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Known Causes

3 known causes

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Missing SELECT Statement

The most common cause is declaring a cursor variable without assigning it a valid SELECT statement, which is required to define the data set for iteration.

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Incorrect Cursor Syntax

Syntactical errors in the `DECLARE CURSOR` statement, such as misplaced keywords or incorrect structure, can lead to this declaration failure.

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Premature Cursor Usage

Attempting to open, fetch from, or close a cursor before its proper declaration or when it's outside its defined scope will trigger this error.

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Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Verify Cursor Declaration Statement easy

Ensure the cursor is declared using a valid SELECT statement.

1

Locate the SQLScript code where the cursor is being declared. This is typically within stored procedures, functions, or database procedures in SAP HANA.

2

Examine the `DECLARE CURSOR` statement. It must be followed by a complete and syntactically correct `SELECT` statement.

3

Check for any syntax errors, missing keywords, or incomplete `SELECT` clauses. The `SELECT` statement should specify the columns to be retrieved and the tables or views from which to retrieve them.

4

Ensure that the `SELECT` statement is not empty or a placeholder. It must return a defined set of data.

5

Example of a correct declaration:

DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR SELECT field1, field2 FROM my_table WHERE condition;

6

Example of an incorrect declaration that would cause error 1286:

DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR ; -- Missing SELECT statement

7

Correct the `DECLARE CURSOR` statement to include a valid `SELECT` clause.

DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR SELECT column_a, column_b FROM some_schema.some_table WHERE id = 123;

2. Resolve Ambiguous or Invalid SELECT Statements medium

Address any issues within the SELECT statement that might make it invalid or ambiguous for cursor declaration.

1

Review the `SELECT` statement associated with the cursor declaration for potential issues such as:
- Invalid table or column names (typos, non-existent objects).
- Incorrect `JOIN` conditions or missing `FROM` clauses.
- Use of unsupported functions or syntax within the `SELECT` list or `WHERE` clause for cursor declaration context.
- Subqueries that are not properly enclosed or are syntactically incorrect.

2

If the `SELECT` statement involves subqueries, CTEs (Common Table Expressions), or complex joins, try to simplify it or test its validity independently first.

3

Execute the `SELECT` statement directly in a SQL client (like SAP HANA Studio or DB Explorer) to identify and fix any syntax or logical errors before using it in a cursor declaration.

4

Ensure all referenced tables and views exist and are accessible with the correct schema prefixes if necessary.

5

Example of a potentially problematic SELECT (missing table):

DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR SELECT column_a FROM ; -- Missing table name

6

Corrected example:

DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR SELECT column_a FROM my_schema.my_table WHERE some_condition = 'value';

3. Check for Dynamic SQL Issues in Cursor Declaration advanced

If the SELECT statement is dynamically constructed, ensure it's valid before cursor declaration.

1

If the `SELECT` statement for the cursor is being built dynamically (e.g., using string concatenation or `EXECUTE IMMEDIATE`), the error might occur because the final generated SQL string is invalid or incomplete when the cursor is declared.

2

Implement robust logging to capture the dynamically generated `SELECT` statement just before the cursor declaration.

3

Debug the dynamic SQL generation logic to ensure that all placeholders are correctly replaced and that the resulting SQL is syntactically sound and complete.

4

Test the generated SQL statement independently to verify its correctness.

5

Consider using table variables or temporary tables to store the result set of a complex dynamic query, and then declare the cursor from that intermediate object, rather than declaring it directly from a complex dynamic `SELECT`.

6

Example of dynamic SQL generation that might fail:

DECLARE v_sql_stmt VARCHAR(1000);
DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR v_sql_stmt; -- If v_sql_stmt is not yet populated with a SELECT

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Corrected approach (populate before declare):

DECLARE v_sql_stmt VARCHAR(1000);
v_sql_stmt := 'SELECT column_a, column_b FROM my_table WHERE category = ''Electronics'';
DECLARE MY_CURSOR CURSOR FOR (SELECT * FROM (
    EXECUTE IMMEDIATE v_sql_stmt
) AS DynamicResult); -- Example using EXECUTE IMMEDIATE within a derived table for cursor

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Related Errors

5 related errors

SAP S/4HANA Error 1286: SQLScript Cursor Declaration Issue