How to import data from a CSV file?

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How to import data from a CSV file?

Sergey Kazachenko

Ten Centuries

Points: 1051
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May 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm

#185079

I have a vendor-supplied CSV file in the format:
"Field1","Field2","Field3"
As you can see, the fields are enclosed in double quotes and separated by commas.
Some fields have commas within the data, for example, the value for Field2 could be "A,B,C"
I tried to import data using BULK INSERT. When I specify the FIELDTERMINATOR as ',', bad things happen, the value in Field2 is broken on each comma, the enclosing double quotes are inserted as part of the value. When I specify the FIELDTERMINATOR as '","' , everything looks Ok, but the first field has a leading and the last field has a trailing double quote.
Is there a way I could make BULK INSERT import the data from my CSV file properly?

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004405 More actions · Answer 1

Yes there is... you will need to build a BCP Format File, but it's worth it for the sheer speed of Bulk Insert...

The format file would look something like this...

8.0

4

1 SQLCHAR 0 1 "" 0 LeadingQuoteDiscarded ""

2 SQLCHAR 0 500 "\",\"" 1 Field1 ""

3 SQLCHAR 0 500 "\",\"" 2 Field2 ""

4 SQLCHAR 0 500 "\"\r" 3 Field3 ""

Note that \" is how you mark a quote in the delimiter column. It's not explicitly documented but it's worked that way forever.

See "BCP Format File" in Books Online for a lot more information on the power of this tool.

--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)

Sergey Kazachenko Ten Centuries Points: 1051 More actions · Answer 2

Jeff,

Thank you! That's an awesome hack you did with the leading and trailing quotes.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004405 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks for the feedback, Sergey!

--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)

Sergey Kazachenko Ten Centuries Points: 1051 More actions · Answer 4

Jeff,

Sorry to bother you. You are the format file guru, could you please take a look at the new problem I have with BULK INSERT?

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic622222-145-1.aspx