generating sql string for execution

I've a need to generate a condition clause (if statement) from 3 variables: a value, an operator & another value.

To generate this: 'abcd' like 'a%'
& verify if the condition is satisfied I've done the following:

CREATE TABLE #Temp(Result varchar(10))
declare @.cond1 as varchar(50), @.op as varchar(4), @.cond2 as varchar(50),
@.expr as varchar(50),@.result as varchar(10)
set @.cond1 = '''abcd'''
set @.op = 'like'
set @.cond2 = '''a%'''
set @.expr = @.cond1 + ' ' + @.op + ' ' + @.cond2
insert into #temp exec ('select case when ' + @.expr + ' then ''true'' else ''false'' end')
if exists (select result from #temp where result = 'true')
select 'it is true'
else
select 'it is false'
drop table #temp

It works, but a bit clumsy. Is there a more elegant way to do this ?How about something mildly perverse like:DECLARE @.cond1 as varchar(50), @.op as varchar(4), @.cond2 as varchar(50)

SET @.cond1 = '''abcd'''
SET @.op = 'like'
SET @.cond2 = '''a%'''

EXECUTE ('SELECT ''it is '' + CASE WHEN (' + @.cond1 + ' ' + @.op
+ ' ' + @.cond2 + ') THEN ''true'' ELSE ''false'' END')The extra parentheses are just digital "seat belts" in case anything goes wrong cooking up your expression.

-PatP|||Thanks Pat, very creative.

An extension on that: how do I get the result of the execute into a variable ?

with a select one can do this:

declare @.temp as varchar(10)
select @.temp = (select 'abc')
print @.temp

but that doesn't work with an exec

Thanks
Colin|||Now we need to get "creative" to make that happen!DECLARE
@.cond1 AS VARCHAR(50)
, @.cond2 AS VARCHAR(50)
, @.cmd AS NVARCHAR(200)
, @.op AS VARCHAR(4)
, @.result AS NVARCHAR(50)

SET @.cond1 = '''abcd'''
SET @.op = 'like'
SET @.cond2 = '''a%'''

SET @.cmd = 'SELECT @.i = ''it is '' + CASE WHEN (' + @.cond1 + ' ' + @.op
+ ' ' + @.cond2 + ') THEN ''true'' ELSE ''false'' END'

EXECUTE sp_executesql @.cmd, N'@.i NVARCHAR(50) OUTPUT ', @.result OUTPUT

SELECT @.result -- Just to show it worked-PatP