SQL Server Aggregate to concatenate strings

Aggregate_Concatenate.sql

-- This script deploys the dbo.Concatenate() aggregate function on SQL Server. This is compiled from the code Concatenate.cs below.

CREATE ASSEMBLY [concat]
FROM 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WITH PERMISSION_SET = SAFE
GO

CREATE AGGREGATE [dbo].[Concatenate] (@value [nvarchar](max))
RETURNS [nvarchar](max)
EXTERNAL NAME [concat].[Concatenate]
GO

Concatenate.cs

using System;
using System.Data.SqlTypes;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.SqlServer.Server;

[Serializable]
[SqlUserDefinedAggregate(Format.UserDefined, IsInvariantToNulls = true, IsInvariantToDuplicates = false, IsInvariantToOrder = false, MaxByteSize = 8000, Name = "Concatenate")]
public class Concatenate : IBinarySerialize
{
    private StringBuilder _intermediateResult;

    internal string IntermediateResult {
        get
        {
            return _intermediateResult.ToString();
        } 
    }

    public void Init()
    {
        _intermediateResult = new StringBuilder();
    }

    public void Accumulate(SqlString value)
    {
        if (value.IsNull) return;
        _intermediateResult.Append(value.Value);
    }

    public void Merge(Concatenate other)
    {
        if (null == other)
            return;

        _intermediateResult.Append(other._intermediateResult);
    }

    public SqlString Terminate()
    {
        var output = string.Empty;

        if (_intermediateResult != null && _intermediateResult.Length > 0)
            output = _intermediateResult.ToString(0, _intermediateResult.Length - 1);

        return new SqlString(output);
    }

    public void Read(BinaryReader reader)
    {
        if (reader == null) 
            throw new ArgumentNullException("reader");
        
        _intermediateResult = new StringBuilder(reader.ReadString());
    }

    public void Write(BinaryWriter writer)
    {
        if (writer == null) 
            throw new ArgumentNullException("writer");
        
        writer.Write(_intermediateResult.ToString());
    }
}

ConcatenateTestScript.sql

create table test(
  id int identity(1,1) not null
    primary key
, class tinyint not null
, name nvarchar(120) not null )

insert into test values 
(1, N'This'),
(1, N'is'),
(1, N'just'),
(1, N'a'),
(1, N'test'),
(2, N','),
(3, N'do'),
(3, N'not'),
(3, N'be'),
(3, N'alarmed'),
(3, N','),
(3, N'this'),
(3, N'is'),
(3, N'just'),
(3, N'a'),
(3, N'test')


select dbo.Concatenate(name + ' ')
from test
group by class

drop table test

Read your answer from:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5031204/does-t-sql-have-an-aggregate-function-to-concatenate-strings#answer-5031263
This function is excellent. It replaced a lot of my clunky FOR XML subqueries with better performance. This function should be integrated into sql server.
For anyone looking for a more thorough guide on how to use and modify this code, this helped me alot:
http://www.tryexcept.com/articles/2009/09/22/using-net-assemblies-inside-sql-server-quick-start-guide.html
(i.e. I didn't know how to create the CREATE ASSEMBLY script in binary form )

SOLVED: It seems I had a problem when using the function on large varchars...

Msg

6522, Level 16, State 2, Line 5
A .NET Framework error occurred during execution of user-defined routine or aggregate "Concatenate":
System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlTypeException: The buffer is insufficient. Read or write operation failed.
System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlTypeException:
at System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlBytes.Write(Int64 offset, Byte[] buffer, Int32 offsetInBuffer, Int32 count)
at System.Data.SqlTypes.StreamOnSqlBytes.Write(Byte[] buffer, Int32 offset, Int32 count)
at System.IO.BinaryWriter.Write(String value)
at Concatenate.Write(BinaryWriter writer)
.
Warning: Null value is eliminated by an aggregate or other SET operation.

---

The solution: one needs to enable CLR on the relevant DB - see SO answer here