code: def _execute_sql_query(
              self):
          
          self.log.info('starting the ``_execute_sql_query`` method')
  
          # generate the api call url
          params = urllib.urlencode({'cmd': self.sqlQuery, 'format': "json"})
          # grab the results
          results = urllib.urlopen(self.sdssUrl + '?%s' % params)
  
          # report any errors
          ofp = sys.stdout
          results = results.read()
          if results.startswith("ERROR"):  # SQL Statement Error -> stderr
              ofp = sys.stderr
              ofp.write(string.rstrip(line) + os.linesep)
  
          # clean up the json response so it can be parsed
          results = results.replace(
              ": ,", ': "NULL",')
          regex = re.compile(r'"photoz_err"\:\s*(\n\s*})')
          newString = regex.sub('"photoz_err": "NULL"\g<1>', results)
          results = newString
  
          # parse the json results
          results = json.loads(results)[0]
          self.results = results["Rows"]
  
          self.log.info('completed the ``_execute_sql_query`` method')
          return
docs: *execute sql query using the sdss API*
  
          **Key Arguments:**
              # -
  
          **Return:**
              - None
  
          .. todo::