If -f is used with the format option, the specified format file is created for the specified table or view. Terminator is the delimiter used to separate any two fields of the data.Ĭolumn Order is the SQL Server table column order.Ĭolumn Name is the name of the SQL Server table column.Ĭolumn Collation is the collation used to store the characters in the data file. Prefix Len is the length for the prefix characters.ĭata Len is the maximum allowed length for the data for the specific field. The other fields in the format file describe the nature of the data fields.įield Order indicates the position of each field.ĭata Type describers the type of the data. Number of columns is the number of fields in the data file in this case, it’s 3. Version 10.0 is the version number of the BCP utility. SQLShackDemo format nul - c - f c : \ BCPImport. Keep in mind, though, that this is not always a recommended option, since it exposes the SQL Server surface to potential threats from the outside world.īCP TestDatabase. This gives you the control to run extended stored procedures. To run the BCP command in ssms, enable the xp_cmdshell server configuration parameter. SQL Server supports exporting of data from a SQL Server table and importing the same into another table.
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How to use the format file for data management In this article, the BCP utility will be explained in detail. It is one of the most efficient ways to handle bulk import and export of data. We’ve been using the BCP tool for a long time, the reason being that it has a very low overhead, and works great for bulk exporting and importing of data. Hence, it is recommended to create a format file to record the data format so in case of any failures, you can refer to the format file and better understand the data format to determine what may have gone wrong. The BCP data files don’t include any schema details or format information. The BCP utility can be used to import large numbers of rows into SQL Server or export SQL Server data into files. The BCP (Bulk Copy Program) utility is a command line that program that bulk-copies data between a SQL instance and a data file using a special format file. There are various methods available for bulk data operations.