How to select first n characters using stored procedure

[Meax]

this works ok in sql server SELECT MessageID, LEFT(Message, 80) AS Expr1 FROM MSGTble but when i try to do it through stored procedure, my webform is giving me error ALTER PROCEDURE dbo.GetAllMessage AS SELECT MessageID, LEFT(Message, 80) AS Expr1 FROM MSGTble RETURN saying "A field or property with the name 'Message' was not found on the selected data source."

[Mycroft Holmes]

Remove the RETURN from your store proc.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH

[Meax]

even after removing the "RETURN", still giving the same error

[Ashfield]

Its because you don't have a column called Message in your select statement, you alias it to Expr1, and I expect in your code you are referring to a column called Message.

Bob Ashfield Consultants Ltd Proud to be a 2009 Code Project MVP

[Ramke]

Hi, if the column is not there you should get the error as invalid column. Try to execute the procedure within sql query analyzer window and check whether it returns any value correctly. In the query analyzer window you have to type the procedure name and excute it and see. It looks to me this could be coding problem on your webform. regards ramke