How to convert from SQL Server table to Flat file (txt file)

Question

I need To ask question how convert from SQL Server table to Flat file txt file

Answer 1

Hi
1. Import/Export wizened
2. Bcp utility
3. SSIS 
1.Import/Export Wizard
First and very manual technique is the import wizard.  This is great for ad-hoc and just to slam it in tasks.
In SSMS right click the database you want to import into.  Scroll to Tasks and select Import Data…
For the data source we want out zips.txt file.  Browse for it and select it.  You should notice the wizard tries to fill in the blanks for you.  One key thing here with this file I picked is there are “ “ qualifiers.  So we need to make
sure we add “ into the text qualifier field.   The wizard will not do this for you.
Go through the remaining pages to view everything.  No further changes should be needed though
Hit next after checking the pages out and select your destination.  This in our case will be DBA.dbo.zips.
Following the destination step, go into the edit mappings section to ensure we look good on the types and counts.
Hit next and then finish.  Once completed you will see the count of rows transferred and the success or failure rate
Import wizard completed and you have the data!
bcp utility
Method two is bcp with a format file http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162802.aspx
This is probably going to win for speed on most occasions but is limited to the formatting of the file being imported.  For this file it actually works well with a small format file to show the contents and mappings to SQL Server.
To create a format file all we really need is the type and the count of columns for the most basic files.  In our case the qualifier makes it a bit difficult but there is a trick to ignoring them.  The trick is to basically throw a field into the
format file that will reference it but basically ignore it in the import process.
Given that our format file in this case would appear like this
9.0
9
1 SQLCHAR 0 0 """ 0 dummy1 ""
2 SQLCHAR 0 50 "","" 1 Field1 ""
3 SQLCHAR 0 50 "","" 2 Field2 ""
4 SQLCHAR 0 50 "","" 3 Field3 ""
5 SQLCHAR 0 50 ""," 4 Field4 ""
6 SQLCHAR 0 50 "," 5 Field5 ""
7 SQLCHAR 0 50 "," 6 Field6 ""
8 SQLCHAR 0 50 "," 7 Field7 ""
9 SQLCHAR 0 50 "n" 8 Field8 ""
The bcp call would be as follows
C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server90ToolsBinn>bcp DBA..zips in “C:zips.txt” -f “c:zip_format_file.txt” -S LKFW0133 -T
Given a successful run you should see this in command prompt after executing the statement
Starting copy...
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 1000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 2000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 3000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 4000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 5000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 6000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 7000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 8000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 9000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 10000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 11000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 12000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 13000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 14000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 15000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 16000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 17000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 18000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 19000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 20000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 21000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 22000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 23000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 24000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 25000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 26000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 27000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 28000
1000 rows sent to SQL Server. Total sent: 29000
bcp import completed!
BULK INSERT
Next, we have BULK INSERT given the same format file from bcp
CREATE TABLE zips (
Col1 nvarchar(50),
Col2 nvarchar(50),
Col3 nvarchar(50),
Col4 nvarchar(50),
Col5 nvarchar(50),
Col6 nvarchar(50),
Col7 nvarchar(50),
Col8 nvarchar(50)
GO
INSERT INTO zips
SELECT *
FROM OPENROWSET(BULK 'C:Documents and SettingstkruegerMy Documentsblogcenzuszipcodeszips.txt',
FORMATFILE='C:Documents and SettingstkruegerMy Documentsblogzip_format_file.txt'
) as t1 ;
GO
That was simple enough given the work on the format file that we already did.  Bulk insert isn’t as fast as bcp but gives you some freedom from within TSQL and SSMS to add functionality to the import.
SSIS
Next is my favorite playground in SSIS
We can do many methods in SSIS to get data from point A, to point B.  I’ll show you data flow task and the SSIS version of BULK INSERT
First create a new integrated services project.
Create a new flat file connection by right clicking the connection managers area.  This will be used in both methods
Bulk insert
You can use format file here as well which is beneficial to moving methods around.  This essentially is calling the same processes with format file usage.  Drag over a bulk insert task and double click it to go into the editor.
Fill in the information starting with connection.  This will populate much as the wizard did.
Example of format file usage
Or specify your own details
Execute this and again, we have some data
Data Flow method
Bring over a data flow task and double click it to go into the data flow tab.
Bring over a flat file source and SQL Server destination.  Edit the flat file source to use the connection manager “The file” we already created.  Connect the two once they are there
Double click the SQL Server Destination task to open the editor.  Enter in the connection manager information and select the table to import into.
Go into the mappings and connect the dots per say
Typical issue of type conversions is Unicode to non-unicode.
We fix this with a Data conversion or explicit conversion in the editor.  Data conversion tasks are usually the route I take.  Drag over a data conversation task and place it between the connection from the flat file source to the SQL Server destination.
New look in the mappings
And after execution…
SqlBulkCopy Method
Sense we’re in the SSIS package we can use that awesome “script task” to show SlqBulkCopy.  Not only fast but also handy for those really “unique” file formats we receive so often
Bring over a script task into the control flow
Double click the task and go to the script page.  Click the Design script to open up the code behind
Ref.
Ahsan Kabir Please remember to click Mark as Answer and Vote as Helpful on posts that help you. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. http://www.aktechforum.blogspot.com/