# Syntax issues with SQL
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978
**Category:** General
**Created:** [13 October 2022 10:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978 "2022-10-13T10:46:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@milner236](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/milner236)
#### Post date: [13 October 2022 10:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978/1 "2022-10-13T10:46:57Z")
Hey everyone,
I've been trying to figure out how to deal with this syntax issue i'm having.
I'm using a template node to design my query and then pass it to an mssqlplus node.
This is the query (in the template node)
```auto
IF EXISTS
(SELECT 1 FROM c5_total_daily WHERE denom='{{denomName}}' AND CONVERT(DATE, endtime) = CONVERT(DATE, getdate()))
BEGIN
UPDATE c5_total_daily
SET '{{typeColumn}}'= CASE WHEN '{{typeColumn}}' IS NULL THEN '{{valNum}}' ELSE '{{typeColumn}}' + '{{valNum}}' END
WHERE denom='{{denomName}}' AND CONVERT(DATE, endtime) = CONVERT(DATE, getdate())
END
ELSE
BEGIN
INSERT INTO dbo.c5_total_daily(denom,endtime,'{{typeColumn}}')
VALUES ('{{denomName}}','{{endtime}}','{{valNum}}')
END
```
My syntax issue is in line 11 in which I am trying to call a variable as column name. Other variable callings in this query have no issues.
Any way to avoid it?
Thanks for any tips!
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [13 October 2022 11:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978/2 "2022-10-13T11:12:47Z")
Feed the template into a debug node and show us what it is generating.
**[Edit]** If you don't need quotes round denom and endtime, why have you put them round {{typeColumn}} ?
---
### Author:  [@milner236](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/milner236)
#### Post date: [13 October 2022 11:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978/3 "2022-10-13T11:43:08Z")
I tried adding quotes around denom and endtime, and also removing quotes from {{typeColumn}} but I still receive the same syntax error.
This is the debug output, I have replaced sensitive names / information with '++++'
```auto
IF EXISTS
(SELECT 1 FROM c5_dashboard_end WHERE depositid='++++' AND endtime='2022-10-13 14:35:17')
BEGIN
UPDATE c5_dashboard_end
SET ++++= CASE WHEN ++++ IS NULL THEN '260' ELSE +++++ + '260' END
WHERE depositid='++++' AND endtime='2022-10-13 14:35:17'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
INSERT INTO dbo.c5_dashboard_end(depositid,starttime,endtime,++++)
VALUES ('++++','2022-10-13 14:18:17','2022-10-13 14:35:17','260')
END
IF EXISTS
(SELECT 1 FROM c5_total_daily WHERE denom='++++' AND CONVERT(DATE, endtime) = CONVERT(DATE, getdate()))
BEGIN
UPDATE c5_total_daily
SET '++++'= CASE WHEN '++++' IS NULL THEN '260' ELSE '++++' + '260' END
WHERE denom='++++' AND CONVERT(DATE, endtime) = CONVERT(DATE, getdate())
END
ELSE
BEGIN
INSERT INTO dbo.c5_total_daily('denom','endtime','++++')
VALUES ('++++','2022-10-13 14:35:17','260')
END
```
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [13 October 2022 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978/4 "2022-10-13T12:31:28Z")
What exactly is the error and what database is this for (mysql for example) and what node are you using to interface to it?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [12 December 2022 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/syntax-issues-with-sql/68978/5 "2022-12-12T12:31:38Z")
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