A little off topic

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A little off topic

djones-1062714

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October 7, 2009 at 1:52 pm

#136265

This is a bit off topic and I didn't know where to ask so I decided to post it here because maybe some of you admins have seen this before. Its not even really SQL server related. I have a CSV that I am trying to query but the brilliant developer that created it used brackets in the field names. Example: Field[1], or Description[1]. You get the idea. I am trying to query this with the Microsoft text driver but it fails on these columns. I have tried enclosing it in the select list in more brackets like "Select [Field[1]] from" but that doesn't work. I have also tried double quotes with no help. I need to know what characters to wrap around this field name to make it work or if it can work at all. Any ideas?
David

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004406 More actions · Answer 1

Wow. "Brilliant" is an understatement.

Try the following...

Select "Field[1]" from

... then find the Developer, the Manager, and the DBA that allowed the brackets and see if they like porkchops... at point blank range from a "Wrist Rocket".

BTW... I don't know what your server settings are but you may have to turn "Quoted Identifiers" ON.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

djones-1062714 SSC Enthusiast Points: 160 More actions · Answer 2

I tried everything I could think of and ended up just using a "select *". I am executing this statement in VB using the Text ODBC Driver. I don't know if I can set "Quoted Identifiers" to be on unless I send it as part of the query that I am executing. I have never tried sending "T-SQL Like" syntax to a Text driver before.

David