search/replace NTEXT field sql server 2000

This worked:


DECLARE
@TextPointer BINARY(16),
@TextIndex INT,
@oldString NVARCHAR(32), -- change to VARCHAR
@newString NVARCHAR(32), -- change to VARCHAR
@lenOldString INT,
@currentDataID INT;

SET @oldString = N'~GT~'; -- remove N
SET @newString = N'>'; -- remove N

IF CHARINDEX(@oldString, @newString) > 0
BEGIN
PRINT 'Quitting to avoid infinite loop.';
END
ELSE
BEGIN
SELECT 'Before replacement:';

SELECT ID, JTEXT FROM TABLE1;

SET @lenOldString = DATALENGTH(@oldString)/2; -- remove /2

DECLARE irows CURSOR
LOCAL FORWARD_ONLY STATIC READ_ONLY FOR
SELECT
ID
FROM
TABLE1
WHERE
PATINDEX('%'+@oldString+'%', JTEXT) > 0;

OPEN irows;

FETCH NEXT FROM irows INTO @currentDataID;

WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN

SELECT
@TextPointer = TEXTPTR(JTEXT),
@TextIndex = PATINDEX('%'+@oldString+'%', JTEXT)
FROM
TABLE1
WHERE
ID = @currentDataID;

WHILE
(
SELECT
PATINDEX('%'+@oldString+'%', JTEXT)
FROM
TABLE1
WHERE
ID = @currentDataID
) > 0
BEGIN
SELECT
@TextIndex = PATINDEX('%'+@oldString+'%', JTEXT)-1
FROM
TABLE1
WHERE
ID = @currentDataID;

UPDATETEXT dbo.TABLE1.JTEXT @TextPointer @TextIndex
@lenOldString @newString;
END

FETCH NEXT FROM irows INTO @currentDataID;
END

CLOSE irows;

DEALLOCATE irows;

SELECT 'After replacement:';

SELECT ID, JTEXT FROM TABLE1;
END