Database

IF @DateFrom IS NULL<br />
BEGIN<br />
   'Do something (but why set @DateFrom to NULL, since it defaults to NULL above???)<br />
END

<br />
create temporary table X (must have same scheme like your original table)<br />
<br />
foreach value-pair E of code and description<br />
begin<br />
      insert into X <br />
      select top 2 * from original_table where code = E.code and description = E.description<br />
end<br />
<br />
select * from X<br />

SELECT
    t.*
FROM
    table1 t
WHERE
    t.date = (SELECT MAX(date)
              FROM table1
              WHERE code = t.code and
              description = t.description) 
    OR
    t.date = (SELECT MAX(date)
              FROM table1
              WHERE code = t.code and
                    description = t.description AND
                    date < (SELECT MAX(date)
                            FROM table1
                            WHERE code = t.code and
                                  description = t.description))

select  (<br />
 (select description from  colortable where description='green') + ',' + <br />
(select description from  colortable where description='Blue') + ','+ <br />
(select description from  colortable where description='Red')<br />
) as colors from  colortable

<br />
<br />
declare @list varchar(1000)<br />
<br />
select @list = isnull(@list, '') + colors + ',' from ColorTable<br />
<br />
select @list<br />
<br />

<br />
declare @list varchar(1000)<br />
declare @len int<br />
<br />
select @list = isnull(@list, '') + colors + ',', @len = len(colors) from ColorTable<br />
<br />
select @list = substring(@list, 1, len(@list)-1)<br />
select substring(@list, 1, len(@list) - @len - 1) + " or " + substring(@list, len(@list) - @len, @len)<br />