Send email from SQL server for each row of a dataset

Question

I have built a stored procedure for sending an email reminder to a set of employees each week. The SQL server agent runs a scheduled procedure each week that builds this weeks dataset of employees and then I need to have each of the employees receive an email but I cannot use the email stored proc inline with the scheduled SELECT statement.

This would be possible using a function but I am using EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail to send mail which cannot be executed in a function.

Answer 1

Use a stored procedure. Inside the stored procedure use a cursor to get the details of the email and what you want to send. Call the sp_send_dbmail repeatedly until all employees get an email.

Okay, it took me a few minutes to set you up a test case database. We are sending emails to Scott Adams, Dave Letterman and Bill Gates.

/*  
    Setup test database.
*/

-- Use master
USE [master]
GO

-- Create a simple database using models attributes
CREATE DATABASE [MAIL];
GO

-- Use mail
USE [MAIL]
GO

-- Drop existing
IF OBJECT_ID(N'[DBO].[EMAIL_LIST]') > 0
DROP TABLE [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST]
GO

-- Create new
CREATE TABLE [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST]
(
    ID INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
    EMAIL_ADDRESS VARCHAR(64),
    EMAIL_SUBJ VARCHAR(64),
    EMAIL_BODY VARCHAR(256),
    SENT_FLAG TINYINT DEFAULT (0)
);

-- Insert simple data
INSERT INTO [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST] (EMAIL_ADDRESS, EMAIL_SUBJ, EMAIL_BODY)
VALUES
('[email protected]','Dilbert','What''s up scott?'),
('[email protected]','Late Show','Please read this letter Dave.'),
('[email protected]','Gates','How''s the weather in Seatle?');

-- Show the data
SELECT * FROM [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST];

This stored procedure reads the email list of unsent emails and sends out the emails.

/*  
    Create stored procedure
*/

-- Drop existing
IF OBJECT_ID(N'[DBO].[SEND_EMAILS]') > 0
DROP PROCEDURE [DBO].[SEND_EMAILS]
GO
 
-- Create new
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[SEND_EMAILS]
AS
BEGIN

    -- Error handling variables
    DECLARE @err_number int;
    DECLARE @err_line int;
    DECLARE @err_message varchar(2048);
    DECLARE @err_procedure varchar(2048);

    -- ** Error Handling - Start Try **
    BEGIN TRY

    -- No counting of rows
    SET NOCOUNT ON;
    
    -- Declare variables
    DECLARE @VAR_ADDRESS VARCHAR(64);
    DECLARE @VAR_SUBJ VARCHAR(64);
    DECLARE @VAR_BODY varchar(256);

    -- Get email list
    DECLARE VAR_CURSOR CURSOR FOR
        SELECT EMAIL_ADDRESS, EMAIL_SUBJ, EMAIL_BODY
        FROM [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST] 
        WHERE SENT_FLAG = 0;
        
    -- Open cursor
    OPEN VAR_CURSOR;

    -- Get first row
    FETCH NEXT FROM VAR_CURSOR 
        INTO @VAR_ADDRESS, @VAR_SUBJ, @VAR_BODY;

    -- While there is data
    WHILE (@@fetch_status = 0)
    BEGIN
        -- Send the email
        EXEC msdb.dbo.sp_send_dbmail 
            @recipients = @VAR_ADDRESS,
            @subject = @VAR_SUBJ,
            @body = @VAR_BODY,
            @body_format = 'HTML' ;  

        -- Grab the next record
        FETCH NEXT FROM VAR_CURSOR 
            INTO @VAR_ADDRESS, @VAR_SUBJ, @VAR_BODY;
    END

    -- Close cursor
    CLOSE VAR_CURSOR;

    -- Release memory
    DEALLOCATE VAR_CURSOR;            

    -- Update the table as processed
    UPDATE [DBO].[EMAIL_LIST] 
    SET SENT_FLAG = 1
    WHERE SENT_FLAG = 0;

    -- ** Error Handling - End Try **
    END TRY

    -- ** Error Handling - Begin Catch **
    BEGIN CATCH
       
      -- Grab variables 
      SELECT 
          @err_number = ERROR_NUMBER(), 
          @err_procedure = ERROR_PROCEDURE(),
          @err_line = ERROR_LINE(), 
          @err_message = ERROR_MESSAGE();

      -- Raise error
      RAISERROR ('An error occurred within a user transaction. 
                  Error Number        : %d
                  Error Message       : %s  
                  Affected Procedure  : %s
                  Affected Line Number: %d'
                  , 16, 1
                  , @err_number, @err_message, @err_procedure, @err_line);       

    -- ** Error Handling - End Catch **    
    END CATCH                
            
END

Looking at the MSDB.[dbo].[sysmail_mailitems] table, we can see the items were queued to go. This depends upon database mail being set up with a public default profile.

Scheduling the stored procedure via a job is up to you.