I am trying to write to a fixed format flat file using Flat File Destination Data Flow Component. I have all required information gathered from more than one sources. But when I tried to format the columns to a big string that will make up one line in the flat file, I could not figure out how to do that. Couple of issues that I am facing are:
How to padd different columns? For example, One interger column has could be 1 to 10 character long in my case. When I convert to string, dont know how to padd the remaining characters i.e. if the value of integer is '1234', it should be written to file as '1234 ' . Which transformation is best in this case, if available?
How to convert T-SQL datetime to a specific date and time format to write in the flate file? I have to write these date formats depending upon one of the parameters passed.
Also, I dont want to put a delimiter at the end of each column, just the new line characters at the end of each record.
Some of the columns has some unwanted characters (like new line characters) how to find them and remove them from the string.
Can we directly write columns to a specific position in the flat file? e.g. col 1 a position 1 and col2 starts at postion 20 etc.
We are using an ADO.NET provider in SSIS to read data from a SQL Server 2000 table that contains DateTime columns to write to a Flat File Destination. When the date values are written to the file they are formatted in TimeStamp to the 10th decimal position; e.g.€œ2006-04-24 12:00:00.123000000€?. Since SQL Server supports values to Timestamp(3), we need to truncate the last seven zeros to put the data in this format €œ2006-04-24 12:00:00.123€? to keep the file as small as possible.
Since we have several hundred DateTime columns in scope for our requirements we are looking for the least logic/effort to accomplish this task. We can do this via Data Conversion and Derived Column transformations to cast the dates and strings but it is very labor intensive. It would be something like singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall eight times in a row with each verse taking 3 minutes each. Yikes.
We have tried casting the DateTime columns to varchar in the SELECT statement but receive this format €œApr 24 2006 12:22PM€?.
Is there a configuration we've missed that forces timestamp(10) with non significant digits?
I am trying to export data from a query in SQL Server 2005 SSIS to a flat file destination. Everything works fine except the rows returned from my query are written to the flat file in one long string (i.e., without line breaks). I have tried appending a new line character to the rows returned from the query but that only throws an error when the package is executed. My rows returned from the query are 133 characters wide (essentially only one column per row) so I have set the properties accordingly for a fixed width file format with 133 character wide rows.
Any suggestions or ideas on how to correct this would be greatly appreciated.
I have a request from a vendor to export data out of my SQL Server 2K database view to a 'flat fixed file'.
What kind of file is this exactly, not a .csv ? Does EM have the capabilities through the DTS wizard, by choosing the output to a text file and fixed width ?
Currently we're working on an SSIS package to extract data from a SQL Server database to several fixed width flat files.
Some of the data needs to be formatted/converted in a certain way DateTimes need to be formatted in ISO8601Booleans need to be 0/1 instead of False/True...Has anybody any idea what the preferred approach (best practice) would be to do these conversions?Convert everything in the select query? What about readability of your query? Do it somewhere in the package? If so, how?....
Similar to a previous post (http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=244646&SiteID=1), I am trying to import data into a SQL Table.
I am trying to program a small application that will import product data obtained through suppliers via CD-ROM. One supplier in particular uses Fixed width colums, and data looks like this:
Example of Data
0124015Apple Crate 32.12
0124016Bananna Box 12.56
0124017Mango Carton 15.98
0124018Seedless Watermelon 42.98 My Table would then have: ProductID as int Name as text Cost as money
How would I go about extracting the data with an XML Format file? I am stumbling over how to tell it where to start picking up data for a specific column. Is there any way that I could trim the Name column (i.e.: "Mango Carton " --> "Mango Carton")?
I don't know if it makes any difference, but I've been calling SQL from my code by doing this:
Code in C# Form
SqlConnection SqlConnection = new SqlConnection(global::SQLClients.Properties.Settings.Default.ClientPhonebookConnectionString); SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand();
SqlConnection.Open(); cmd.ExecuteNonQuery(); SqlConnection.Close(); RefreshData(); I am running Visual Studio C# Express 2005 and SQL Server Express 2005.
Hi, There's a lot of information on importing data from text files, but not a lot on exporting data to text files... I've checked but found no info on this.
I'm trying to export data from SQL Server to a fixed-width flat file and wondering if I'm doing it the right way.
I use a view as source (using a OLEDB connection manager) and I can see the data without problem.
I defined a Flat File Destination (using a flat file connection manager). When setting up the flat file connection manager, I am asked for a file... Does this mean one should create manually a template file with the desired output format? So I used a production file as template since we're replacing an existing process.
After having set up everything, I run the SSIS only to see all the data on the same row. There are no CRLF...
When I create the file connection manager, there's no way to mention the row delimiter. In the properties I see a "Row Delimiter" field and when I try with "{CR}{LF}" it makes no difference. Interesting to note that, contrary to the HeaderRowDelimiter field, the RowDelimiter field has no drop-down control to give choices.
So I had to return the CRLF as the last field of the source view (SELECT .... ,'CRLF' = CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) FROM ...) to make it work.
I'm trying to extract data from a Flat File which is as fixed length as they come. The file has a header, which simply contains the number of records in the file, followed by the records, with no header delimeter (No CR/LF, nothing).
For example a file would look like the following:
00000003Name1Address1Name2Address2Name3Address3
So this has 3 records (indicated by the first 8 characters), each consisting of a Name and Address.
I can't see a way to extract the data using a flat file connection, unless we add a delimeter for the header (not possible at this stage). Am I wrong?
Any suggestions on possible solution would be much appreciated - I'm thinking Ill have to write a script to parse the file manually.
When I use SQL 2000 DTS Export to create a fixed length flat file, the data rows are delimited by carriage return-line. Which means that when I open the flat file in a text editor like UltraEdit or WordPad, the data rows are broken out nicely (row ends at the max row length position and new row starts at position 0).
But when I use SSIS to create the file, the whole file is displayed as one line in WordPad. The data rows don't end at the max row lenght position in ultraEdit neither. From Flat File Connection Manager's Preview page, I can see the data rows are displayed properly.
Now I wonder if the flat file destination is a true fixed length file.
I have a data flow task where I have to write to a flat file. It works fine for me. But the thing is next timeI run the package it must write the data in the OLDEB source to a different copy. Usually the data is overwritten or appended to already existing data. What I want is everytime the package is run the data must be written to a different copy.
I have a flat file. It's fixed-with with CRLF record delimiters (a.k.a. Ragged Right format).
Some fields are null, and represented by the text NULL.
I'm trying to import the file into SQL via an OLE DB connection. The target table is a SQL 2000 data table. Two of the fields in the target database are of type smallint.
When I run PREVIEW on the data source (Flat File), everything looks good & correct. I added the convert columns task to convert my strings to smallint. This is where things go haywire.
After linking everything up, the conversion gives me a "Cannot convert because of a possible loss of data." All of my numbers are < 50, so I know this isn't the case. Another SSIS bogus error
My first instinct is the SSIS doesn't understand that NULL means null. I edited the file and replaced all instances of NULL with 4 emtpy string chars. Still no good. It seems to be having a hard time parsing the file now.
I dropped the convert task and tried editing the data source, and set the two smallint fields to smallint instead of string (SSIS formats). I get the same conversion error.
Changing the NULL values to 0 fixed the problem, but they're not 0. They're null.
Short of creating another script that converts all zeros to NULL using the aforementioned hack, I'm out of ideas.
I'm I missing something or is SSIS just incapable of handling nulls in fixed-width flat file formats?
We're having issues exporting a set of data from SQL to a fixed width flat text file by just doing a right click on the DB, then choosing Tasks > Export Data. You can not specify a row delimiter when you choose a Fixed Width format. The only way around this that we've found is to specificy char(13) and char(10) at the end of the SQL select statement. Without row delimiters you end up with 1 giant record rather than 20,000 regular sized records. Is there any other way around this that we're missing?
Using Ragged Right is not an option either since the record lengths will be inconsistent if the last field doesn't contain a consistent length to the data.
I have a text file that is comma delimited and im pulling it in with a flatfile connection manager. I want to read some of the data, then output another flat file but in a fixed column width. What settings do I made to the connection manager of the output flatfile ?
I have a Foreach loop which scans a table, and gets names of a bunch of procedures, and then back in the foreach loop, they get executed. Im trying to figure out how I can create a sort of log file to say the name of the procedure that is getting executed currently and the current date time stamp onto a flat file. I havent been able to figure this out yet..anyone know how to do this? I grab the names of the storedprocedures from the table and store it in a variable and use the name from the variable to actually execute the stored procedure.
I guess in essence, the question is how do i directly write lines of 'text' (from say a variable) into a flat file.
I'm doing a test package which reads a flat file, makes an adjustment using the derived column task and writes to the same flat file. But, the read locks the flat file, so the write can't access it. Any ideas for a resolution?
I am sorry, I am posting this message again, since I did not get anyreply.I want to export a table into a "fixed width" file using SQL 2005import export wizard.This is the version I have:SQL Server 2005 - 9.00.2047.00For some reason it joins all the rows together. For EX: if the tableis like this:Create table Mytable (col1 varchar(50) null, col2 varchar(60) null,col3 varchar (100) Null)Insert into MyTable values ("abcdef", "12345", "8900")Insert into MyTable values ("xxxxxxx", "11111111", "22222222")Insert into MyTable values ("yyyyyyyyy", "5555555555555555","6666666666")Insert into MyTable values ("abcdef", "12345", "8900")Insert into MyTable values ("xxxxxxx", "11111111", "22222222")Insert into MyTable values ("yyyyyyyyy", "5555555555555555","6666666666")It is not exporting every row in a single line. Actually if I open itin "Ultra Edit", it is all in one line.I used to do this regularly with SQL 2000 import export wizard and itexported every row in one line.I looked at the setting:The header row delimiter has {CR}{LF}Code page has 1252 Ansi-Latin.In the Advanced tab:String:dt_str.I tried changing the header row delimiter to just {CR} or just {LF}.Also I tried changing the string to dt_text and nothing seems to help.Please help.Thank you
I have a simple SSIS package that runs a query on the db and outputs a fixed width flat file. I have all my column widths defined and in the connection manager i can preview the output. Everything looks great. All the fields fall where they should and each record is on it's own line.
When i run the SSIS program and then go open my text file with a text editor the ouput is all on the same line. I have tried changing my file format from fixed width to ragging right and adding a row delimiter but that doesn't work either. I feel like i'm missing something small here. It could even be an issue w/ my text editor (although i've tried to open the text file in multiple editors). In the flat file connection manager I have my file defined to be 187 characters long, So figure every 187 characters it should output a new line (it should add the carraige return right?).
I'm unable to figure out how to write a column header to my flat file destination. My source is a OLE DB SQL query and I need the column names as a header row in my text file destination. This seems easy but the closet I can find is hardcoding the column header row in the header property. Is this the only option?
Hi-I have a sql database (2005) that I need to extract a report from that looks somehintg like SELECT * From Empl_Hours WHERE some_flag <> 'true' .The thing works fine, but the problem is this: I need to insert a record in the 1st row that looks like "Static_text"+row_count() +"more_static_text"where row_count is the actual # of rows that were retrieved. Thanks in advance for any help.DAn
I can't use DTS nor DTSwizard as I need to put it in a .sql and run it through a command line via .bat file (it's more for the users).
Each row ends with an EOL character, the fields are all fixed width, but I have a little problem here, some rows are empty but just with a EOL character.
I know that I think as sql2k programmer-dba yet but I can€™t avoid.
I€™ve got Flat File Connection Manager Editor dragged with a text file as €˜ragged right€™ format and CRLF as header row limiter. When from properties page and Columns option I€™m going to alter just a few colums I am not be able. It seems that you must erase all of them in order to define one or two. And in the case you€™d have 50???? When I ran sql2k DTS designer did that without problems, alter columns again and again.
As far as I know it€™s a lose of flexibility, or not? Or is there any way for do that without deleting nothing else?
I'm using SSIS to do bulk inserts from fixed width files to about 20 tables in my SQL database.
The problem I'm running into is in creating Format Files for the bulk insert task to use. I've gotten the bcp command to create format files that will read csv files, but I can't seem to figure out how to get it to create one for fixed-width.
I know it can be done: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191234.aspx At the bottom (Section F) it shows an XML format file for reading a fixed-width file. When I manually create one of these to match one of my tables, the bulk insert worked fine.
Closest I've come is with this ( [] bracketed items are correct values, just censored here): C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server90ToolsBinn>bcp [database].[owner].[table] format nul -c -f C:TableFMT.xml -x -S[Server] -U[Username] -P[Password]
My question is, what is the bcp command to create this sort of XML format file?
Flat file is the source for to load the data into a table. I am using "Derived Column Component" for the data validation.
"Derived Column Component" Fails then i am writing/redirecting the records into the Flat File using "Flat File Destination" component.
It works fine except the following the issue.
Issue: The derived columun value (that cause an error) is not get inserted into the Flat File
Scenario: the data comes as "000000" and tring to convert to date format (DT_DATE)("20" + RIGHT(Check_Date,2) + "/" + SUBSTRING(Check_Date,1,LEN(Check_Date) - 4) + "/" + SUBSTRING(Check_Date,LEN(Check_Date) - 3,2))
The above expression is working fine, except the data 000000 not passed into the Flat File Destination.
I have a set of parent/child records that need to be exported to a space delimited Flat File. Each parent record must be followed by 3 child records, each on their own line with different format.
I have a prototype using the Derived Column component that concatinates the various fields of each record into one "wide" text column. This fools SSIS to think that each row has the same format. Then I merge them together using an artificial sort id. But this seems overly tedious and very brittle.
What would be the best approach to writing these records out? I'm hoping there is a better more maintainable method.
I would like to write my table to a delimited file but I seem to have no choice but to use comma as the delimiter. Is there any way I can choose the delimiter ?
We are using the bcp utility (via APIs) to export data from a SQL tablein a fixed format text file. BCP is inserting spaces for a field ifthe field contains a NULL. This is fine with us except at the end ofthe line, there are no spaces for that field just the end-of-rowterminator prematurely, so it looks like that field is not present andmesses up another piece of software we pump the text file into downstream.Example -- The last row illustrates the problem.123-49-890 Mary Smith Raleigh NC 999-88-123 Henry Ax Boston MA 456-99-123 Sue Kite WA 789-88-126 Andy Yates Philadelphia We have thought about using a SQL query to convert the NULL dataexplicitly to spaces, but were wondering is there a switch or somethingin our format file to get around this.Thanks.
I have a variable defined as "Country". Based on the value, the header row printed needs to be different.
I've already created a 'HeaderRow' variable that I'm able to set using a script task. But how can you set the Header text value at run time from the variable? There is no expression defined for the Header with the Flat File Destination object, and when I attempt to reference the HeaderRow variable as the Header text, the variable name is printed as the header.
Another approach I tried was to write the Header Row separately through another data flow task, but the issue here is: what is the input source when all you have is a Country variable?
I have a package that contains three database tables (Header, detail and trailer record) each table is connected via a OLE DB source in SSIS. Each table varies in the amount of colums it holds and niether of the tables have the same field names. I need to transfer all data, from each table, in order, to a flat file destination.
Hello all, I was trying to run a test to write a ebcdic file out with a comp - 3 number (testing this for other people) and have run into a problem writing the string out to the flat file destination. I have the following script component:
Code Block
' Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services user script component ' This is your new script component in Microsoft Visual Basic .NET ' ScriptMain is the entrypoint class for script components Imports System Imports System.Data Imports System.Math Imports Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Pipeline.Wrapper Imports Microsoft.SqlServer.Dts.Runtime.Wrapper Public Class ScriptMain Inherits UserComponent Public Overrides Sub CreateNewOutputRows() ' ' Add rows by calling AddRow method on member variable called "Buffer" ' E.g., MyOutputBuffer.AddRow() if your output was named "My Output" ' Output0Buffer.AddRow() Dim myByteArray() As Byte = {&H12, &H34, &H56, &H7F} Output0Buffer.myByteStream = myByteArray Output0Buffer.myString = "ABCD" Output0Buffer.myString2 = "B123" myByteArray = Nothing End Sub End Class
I have added myByteStream as a DT_BYTES length 4, myString as (DT_STR, 4, 37) and myString2 as (DT_STR, 4, 37) to the output 0 buffer.
I then add a flat file destination with code set 37 (ebcdic us / canda) with the corresponding columns using fixed width.
When i place a dataviewer on the line between the two the output looks as I expect ("0x12 0x34 0x56 0x7F", "ABCD", "B123"). However, when it gets to the flat file destination it errors out with the following:
Code Block [Flat File Destination [54]] Error: Data conversion failed. The data conversion for column "myByteStream" returned status value 4 and status text "Text was truncated or one or more characters had no match in the target code page.".
If i increase the size of the byte stream (say, to 50) the error goes away but I am left with the string "1234567F" instead of the appropriate hex values. Any clues on how to go about this? I obviously don't care if it gets transferred to "readable" text as this is supposed to be a binary stream, thus the no match in target page seems superfulous but is probably what is causing the problems.
NOTE: this is relating to the following thread (http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2300539&SiteID=1) in that I am trying to determine why these people are not seeing the "UseBinaryFormat" when importing an EBCDIC file (i see this fine when i use an ftp'd file, but it auto converts to ascii) with comp-3 values. I also see the "UseBinaryFormat" when I am importing a regular EBCDIC file which I create that has no import errors with zoned decimals.
