Lesson 2: Create and Manage Data in a Hierarchical Table

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance

In Lesson 1, you modified an existing table to use the hierarchyid data type, and populated the hierarchyid column with the representation of the existing data. In this lesson, you will start with a new table, and insert data by using the hierarchical methods. Then, you will query and manipulate the data by using the hierarchical methods.

Prerequisites

To complete this tutorial, you need SQL Server Management Studio, access to a server that's running SQL Server, and an AdventureWorks database.

Instructions for restoring databases in SSMS are here: Restore a database.

Create a table using the hierarchyid data type

The following example creates a table named EmployeeOrg, which includes employee data together with their reporting hierarchy. The example creates the table in the AdventureWorks2022 database, but that is optional. To keep the example simple, this table includes only five columns:

  • OrgNode is a hierarchyid column that stores the hierarchical relationship.
  • OrgLevel is a computed column, based on the OrgNode column that stores each nodes level in the hierarchy. It will be used for a breadth-first index.
  • EmployeeID contains the typical employee identification number that is used for applications such as payroll. In new application development, applications can use the OrgNode column and this separate EmployeeID column is not needed.
  • EmpName contains the name of the employee.
  • Title contains the title of the employee.

Create the EmployeeOrg table

  1. In a Query Editor window, run the following code to create the EmployeeOrg table. Specifying the OrgNode column as the primary key with a clustered index will create a depth-first index:

    USE AdventureWorks2022;  
    GO  
    
    if OBJECT_ID('HumanResources.EmployeeOrg') is not null
     drop table HumanResources.EmployeeOrg 
    
    CREATE TABLE HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    (  
       OrgNode hierarchyid PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,  
       OrgLevel AS OrgNode.GetLevel(),  
       EmployeeID int UNIQUE NOT NULL,  
       EmpName varchar(20) NOT NULL,  
       Title varchar(20) NULL  
    ) ;  
    GO  
    
  2. Run the following code to create a composite index on the OrgLevel and OrgNode columns to support efficient breadth-first searches:

    CREATE UNIQUE INDEX EmployeeOrgNc1   
    ON HumanResources.EmployeeOrg(OrgLevel, OrgNode) ;  
    GO  
    

The table is now ready for data. The next task will populate the table by using hierarchical methods.

Populate a Hierarchical Table Using Hierarchical Methods

AdventureWorks2022 has 8 employees working in the Marketing department. The employee hierarchy looks like this:

David, EmployeeID 6, is the Marketing Manager. Three Marketing Specialists report to David:

  • Sariya, EmployeeID 46

  • John, EmployeeID 271

  • Jill, EmployeeID 119

Marketing Assistant Wanida (EmployeeID 269), reports to Sariya, and Marketing Assistant Mary (EmployeeID 272), reports to John.

Insert the root of the hierarchy tree

  1. The following example inserts David the Marketing Manager into the table at the root of the hierarchy. The OrdLevel column is a computed column. Therefore, it is not part of the INSERT statement. This first record uses the GetRoot() method to populate this first record as the root of the hierarchy.

    INSERT HumanResources.EmployeeOrg (OrgNode, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title)  
    VALUES (hierarchyid::GetRoot(), 6, 'David', 'Marketing Manager') ;  
    GO  
    
  2. Execute the following code to examine initial row in the table:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode, OrgLevel, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title   
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    

    Here is the result set.

    Text_OrgNode OrgNode OrgLevel EmployeeID EmpName Title  
    ------------ ------- -------- ---------- ------- -----------------  
    /            Ox      0        6          David   Marketing Manager  
    

As in the previous lesson, we use the ToString() method to convert the hierarchyid data type to a format that is more easily understood.

Insert a subordinate employee

  1. Sariya reports to David. To insert Sariya's node, you must create an appropriate OrgNode value of data type hierarchyid. The following code creates a variable of data type hierarchyid and populates it with the root OrgNode value of the table. Then uses that variable with the GetDescendant() method to insert row that is a subordinate node. GetDescendant takes two arguments. Review the following options for the argument values:

    • If parent is NULL, GetDescendant returns NULL.
    • If parent is not NULL, and both child1 and child2 are NULL, GetDescendant returns a child of parent.
    • If parent and child1 are not NULL, and child2 is NULL, GetDescendant returns a child of parent greater than child1.
    • If parent and child2 are not NULL and child1 is NULL, GetDescendant returns a child of parent less than child2.
    • If parent, child1, and child2 are all not NULL, GetDescendant returns a child of parent greater than child1 and less than child2.

    The following code uses the (NULL, NULL) arguments of the root parent because there are not yet any rows in the table except the root. Execute the following code to insert Sariya:

    DECLARE @Manager hierarchyid   
    SELECT @Manager = hierarchyid::GetRoot()  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    
    INSERT HumanResources.EmployeeOrg (OrgNode, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title)  
    VALUES  
    (@Manager.GetDescendant(NULL, NULL), 46, 'Sariya', 'Marketing Specialist') ;  
    
    
  2. Repeat the query from the first procedure to query the table and see how the entries appear:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode, OrgLevel, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title   
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    

    Here is the result set.

    Text_OrgNode OrgNode OrgLevel EmployeeID EmpName Title  
    ------------ ------- -------- ---------- ------- -----------------  
    /            Ox      0        6          David   Marketing Manager  
    /1/          0x58    1        46         Sariya  Marketing Specialist  
    

Create a procedure for entering new nodes

  1. To simplify entering data, create the following stored procedure to add employees to the EmployeeOrg table. The procedure accepts input values about the employee being added. This includes the EmployeeID of the new employee's manager, the new employee's EmployeeID number, and their first name and title. The procedure uses GetDescendant() and also the GetAncestor() method. Execute the following code to create the procedure:

    CREATE PROC AddEmp(@mgrid int, @empid int, @e_name varchar(20), @title varchar(20))   
    AS   
    BEGIN  
       DECLARE @mOrgNode hierarchyid, @lc hierarchyid  
       SELECT @mOrgNode = OrgNode   
       FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg   
       WHERE EmployeeID = @mgrid  
       SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE  
       BEGIN TRANSACTION  
          SELECT @lc = max(OrgNode)   
          FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg   
          WHERE OrgNode.GetAncestor(1) =@mOrgNode ;  
    
          INSERT HumanResources.EmployeeOrg (OrgNode, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title)  
          VALUES(@mOrgNode.GetDescendant(@lc, NULL), @empid, @e_name, @title)  
       COMMIT  
    END ;  
    GO  
    
  2. The following example adds the remaining 4 employees that report directly or indirectly to David.

    EXEC AddEmp 6, 271, 'John', 'Marketing Specialist' ;  
    EXEC AddEmp 6, 119, 'Jill', 'Marketing Specialist' ;  
    EXEC AddEmp 46, 269, 'Wanida', 'Marketing Assistant' ;  
    EXEC AddEmp 271, 272, 'Mary', 'Marketing Assistant' ;  
    
  3. Again, execute the following query examine the rows in the EmployeeOrg table:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode, OrgLevel, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title   
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    GO  
    

    Here is the result set.

    Text_OrgNode OrgNode OrgLevel EmployeeID EmpName Title  
    ------------ ------- -------- ---------- ------- -----------------  
    /            Ox      0        6          David   Marketing Manager  
    /1/          0x58    1        46         Sariya  Marketing Specialist  
    /1/1/        0x5AC0  2        269        Wanida  Marketing Assistant  
    /2/          0x68    1        271        John    Marketing Specialist  
    /2/1/        0x6AC0  2        272        Mary    Marketing Assistant  
    /3/          0x78    1        119        Jill    Marketing Specialist  
    

The table is now fully populated with the Marketing organization.

Query a hierarchical table using hierarchy methods

Now that the HumanResources.EmployeeOrg table is fully populated, this task will show you how to query the hierarchy using some of the hierarchical methods.

Find subordinate nodes

  1. Sariya has one subordinate employee. To query for Sariya's subordinates, execute the following query that uses the IsDescendantOf method:

    DECLARE @CurrentEmployee hierarchyid  
    
    SELECT @CurrentEmployee = OrgNode  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE EmployeeID = 46 ;  
    
    SELECT *  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE OrgNode.IsDescendantOf(@CurrentEmployee ) = 1 ;  
    

    The result lists both Sariya and Wanida. Sariya is listed because she is the descendant at the 0 level. Wanida is the descendant at the 1 level.

  2. You can also query for this information by using the GetAncestor method. GetAncestor takes an argument for the level that you are trying to return. Since Wanida is one level underneath Sariya, use GetAncestor(1) as demonstrated in the following code:

    DECLARE @CurrentEmployee hierarchyid  
    
    SELECT @CurrentEmployee = OrgNode  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE EmployeeID = 46 ;  
    
    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode, *  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE OrgNode.GetAncestor(1) = @CurrentEmployee  
    

    This time the result lists only Wanida.

  3. Now change the @CurrentEmployee to David (EmployeeID 6) and the level to 2. Execute the following to also return Wanida:

    DECLARE @CurrentEmployee hierarchyid  
    
    SELECT @CurrentEmployee = OrgNode  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE EmployeeID = 6 ;  
    
    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode, *  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE OrgNode.GetAncestor(2) = @CurrentEmployee  
    

    This time, you also receive Mary who also reports to David, two levels down.

Use GetRoot, and GetLevel

  1. As the hierarchy grows larger it is more difficult to determine where the members are in the hierarchy. Use the GetLevel method to find how many levels down each row is in the hierarchy. Execute the following code to view the levels of all the rows:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode.GetLevel() AS EmpLevel, *  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    GO  
    
    
  2. Use the GetRoot method to find the root node in the hierarchy. The following code returns the single row which is the root:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode, *  
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE OrgNode = hierarchyid::GetRoot() ;  
    GO  
    
    

Reorder data in a hierarchical table using hierarchical methods

Applies to: SQL Server

Reorganizing a hierarchy is a common maintenance task. In this task, we will use an UPDATE statement with the GetReparentedValue method to first move a single row to a new location in the hierarchy. Then we will move an entire sub-tree to a new location.

The GetReparentedValue method takes two arguments. The first argument describes the part of the hierarchy to be modified. For example, if a hierarchy is /1/4/2/3/ and you want to change the /1/4/ section, the hierarchy becomes /2/1/2/3/, leaving the last two nodes (2/3/) unchanged, you must provide the changing nodes (/1/4/) as the first argument. The second argument provides the new hierarchy level, in our example /2/1/. The two arguments do not have to contain the same number of levels.

Move a single row to a new location in the hierarchy

  1. Currently Wanida reports to Sariya. In this procedure, you move Wanida from her current node /1/1/, so that she reports to Jill. Her new node will become /3/1/ so /1/ is the first argument and /3/ is the second. These correspond to the OrgNode values of Sariya and Jill. Execute the following code to move Wanida from Sariya's organization to Jill's:

    DECLARE @CurrentEmployee hierarchyid , @OldParent hierarchyid, @NewParent hierarchyid  
    SELECT @CurrentEmployee = OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
      WHERE EmployeeID = 269 ;   
    SELECT @OldParent = OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
      WHERE EmployeeID = 46 ;   
    SELECT @NewParent = OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
      WHERE EmployeeID = 119 ;   
    
    UPDATE HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    SET OrgNode = @CurrentEmployee. GetReparentedValue(@OldParent, @NewParent)   
    WHERE OrgNode = @CurrentEmployee ;  
    GO  
    
  2. Execute the following code to see the result:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode, OrgLevel, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title   
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    GO  
    

    Wanida is now at node /3/1/.

Reorganize a section of a hierarchy

  1. To demonstrate how to move a larger number of people at the same time, first execute the following code to add an intern reporting to Wanida:

    EXEC AddEmp 269, 291, 'Kevin', 'Marketing Intern'  ;  
    GO  
    
  2. Now Kevin reports to Wanida, who reports to Jill, who reports to David. That means that Kevin is at level /3/1/1/. To move all of Jill's subordinates to a new manager, we will update all nodes that have /3/ as their OrgNode to a new value. Execute the following code to update Wanida to report to Sariya, but keep Kevin reporting to Wanida:

    DECLARE @OldParent hierarchyid, @NewParent hierarchyid  
    SELECT @OldParent = OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE EmployeeID = 119 ; -- Jill  
    SELECT @NewParent = OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE EmployeeID = 46 ; -- Sariya  
    DECLARE children_cursor CURSOR FOR  
    SELECT OrgNode FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
    WHERE OrgNode.GetAncestor(1) = @OldParent;  
    DECLARE @ChildId hierarchyid;  
    OPEN children_cursor  
    FETCH NEXT FROM children_cursor INTO @ChildId;  
    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0  
    BEGIN  
    START:  
        DECLARE @NewId hierarchyid;  
        SELECT @NewId = @NewParent.GetDescendant(MAX(OrgNode), NULL)  
        FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg WHERE OrgNode.GetAncestor(1) = @NewParent;  
    
        UPDATE HumanResources.EmployeeOrg  
        SET OrgNode = OrgNode.GetReparentedValue(@ChildId, @NewId)  
        WHERE OrgNode.IsDescendantOf(@ChildId) = 1;  
        IF @@error <> 0 GOTO START -- On error, retry  
            FETCH NEXT FROM children_cursor INTO @ChildId;  
    END  
    CLOSE children_cursor;  
    DEALLOCATE children_cursor;  
    
    
  3. Execute the following code to see the result:

    SELECT OrgNode.ToString() AS Text_OrgNode,   
    OrgNode, OrgLevel, EmployeeID, EmpName, Title   
    FROM HumanResources.EmployeeOrg ;  
    GO  
    

Here is the result set.

Text_OrgNode OrgNode OrgLevel EmployeeID EmpName Title  
------------ ------- -------- ---------- ------- -----------------  
/            Ox      0        6          David   Marketing Manager  
/1/          0x58    1        46         Sariya  Marketing Specialist  
/1/1/        0x5AC0  2        269        Wanida  Marketing Assistant  
/1/1/1/      0x5AD0  3        291        Kevin   Marketing Intern  
/2/          0x68    1        271        John    Marketing Specialist  
/2/1/        0x6AC0  2        272        Mary    Marketing Assistant  
/3/          0x78    1        119        Jill    Marketing Specialist  

The entire organizational tree that had reported to Jill (both Wanida and Kevin) now reports to Sariya.

For a stored procedure to reorganize a section of a hierarchy, see the "Moving Subtrees" section of Moving Subtrees.