Difference between Cursor vs. while loop in SQL Server?

Step 1:- Create the table.

Create table #TestEmpRecord

(

       Row_No int identity,

       EmpID varchar(10),

       EmpName varchar(50)

)

insert into #TestEmpRecord(

EmpID,EmpName

)

select 'E001','Employee 1' union

select 'E002','Employee 2' union

select 'E003','Employee 3' union

select 'E004','Employee 4' union

select 'E005','Employee 5' union

select 'E006','Employee 6'

Step 2:- Using Cursor Print EmpId

declare @EmpID varchar(10)       --Declaring Variable

declare curTblwstp Cursor For    --Declaring Cursor

select EmpID from #TestEmpRecord --Select Record and Storing in Cursor

open curTblwstp                  --Open Cursor

fetch next from curTblwstp into @EmpID --Store Next Record In @EmpID

While @@Fetch_Status = 0

begin

  print @EmpID

  fetch next from curTblwstp into @EmpID --Store Next Record In @EmpID                                                    Using Loop

end

Close curTblwstp                --Close Cursor

Deallocate curTblwstp           --Deallocate Cursor

Step 3:- Using while loop Print EmpId

declare @EmpID varchar(10)

declare @RowCount int

declare @I int

set @RowCount = 0

set @I = 1

set @RowCount = (select count(*) from #TestEmpRecord)

while(@I <= @RowCount)

begin

       set @EmpID = (select EmpID from #TestEmpRecord where Row_No = @I)

       print @EmpID

       set @I = @I + 1

end

Note:-

Based on the above example, both are doing the same thing and execution time also takes same. You need to decide either while loop or cursor based on your requirement.