Can a fixed width text file be converted using SSIS?

  • Have a manual process of loading our Bank cleared checks into our ERP system via a flat file. The bank is not forgiven in their format.

    The file comes over like this...

    512512540007541212312007

    For us it means....

    Bank acct Check Number Amt Cleared Amt

    51255125 40007 54.12 12/31/2007

    So we take this file open in Excel to tab delimited the file then put in a form for upload. Just looking to see if SSIS could automate the file from fixed width, to correct format and insert into a SQL table.

    Thanks

  • Yes. You would use the Flat File connection manager and set it to use a fixed width format and you can define the width of each column. The only issue I see with your example is on ly showing 4 characters for the amount, what if it is not 4 characters? Is the date always 8 characters or is 1/1/2007 shown as 112007. If these vary then it is not fixed width, so you would need to use a script task to determine what really is in each column.

  • Jack,

    Going to sound dumb but I have only a small experience with SSIS...where is the flat file connection manager? I don't see it Business Intelligence (Visual Studio)

  • When you create a package, at the bottom of the screen there is a tab titled Connection Managers, or in the menu SSIS -> New Connection. Professional SSIS By Brian Knight is a good book to get you going.

  • Never mind I think I see it now I need to put the puzzle together thanks for the help.

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