Importing File to SQL Server

Question

I have a comma delimited file which I want to import into SQL Server.

The file is quite huge (240MB).

I need to import the same via the following process:

1. Create table to import to.
2. The first line of the file would correspond to the column of the table.
3. All items would be treated as string.

Is there a tool in SQL server specifically designed to do this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Ok,

Use the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard,

• Set the Data Source to Flat File Source
• Browse your CSV File
• Check the check box "Column names in the first data row"
• Check out the preview to see if that's the result you want.

Good luck.

Answer 2

If its just a one-off file, then use what used to be called DTS, now commonly referred to as the SQL Server Import/Export Wizard.

BCP is probably a bit more complicated to set up and get going for a one-off file, but if you're doing this often, then learn and use BCP.

In the Import/Export wizard there is a checkbox on the Choosa a Data Source screen, at the General tab called 'Column names in the first data row'; that will let you have the first row as a header row.

treating all items as string is fine, Import/Export wizard sets columns to string by default, with a width of 50, so you might want to increase it slightly if your data is going to be wider than that.