sqlcmd - Unable to pass in exact file path as an input variable to :out

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sqlcmd - Unable to pass in exact file path as an input variable to :out

Weegee2017

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November 25, 2019 at 3:22 pm

#3700630
Hi there
I have a routine which outputs an ID generated from a stored procedure into a text file as follows:
:!!if exist \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt del \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt
--:connect localhost\SQL2008R2
:out \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt
select Ltrim(Rtrim(@StoredProcedureRunTrackerID))
Now i wanted to change this , so that the path for :out is not hardcoded and passed in as a variable, ie
:on error exit
:setvar DirectoryRootPath "\\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt"
then calling
:!!if exist @DirectoryRootPath del '$(DirectoryRootPath)'
--:connect localhost\SQL2008R2
:out '$(DirectoryRootPath)'
select @StoredProcedureRunTrackerID
But this not produce my output file
Is there something syntatically that I am doing wrong here?
The SP is executing ok, just the output of the ID into a field isnt
```
Hi there 

I have a routine which outputs an ID generated from a stored procedure into a text file as follows:

:!!if exist \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt  del \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt 
--:connect localhost\SQL2008R2
:out \\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt 
select Ltrim(Rtrim(@StoredProcedureRunTrackerID))


Now i wanted to change this , so that the path for :out is not hardcoded and passed in as a variable, ie 


:on error exit
:setvar DirectoryRootPath "\\LONDEVSQL01\Staging\SEG_DEV_H01\Import\SupplementaryImport\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt"

then calling


:!!if exist  @DirectoryRootPath del  '$(DirectoryRootPath)'
--:connect localhost\SQL2008R2
:out '$(DirectoryRootPath)'
select @StoredProcedureRunTrackerID

But this not produce my output file

Is there something syntatically that I am doing wrong here?

The SP is executing ok, just the output of the ID into a field isnt
```

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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Site Owners SSC Guru Points: 80330 More actions · Answer 1

Thanks for posting your issue and hopefully someone will answer soon.

This is an automated bump to increase visibility of your question.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004323 More actions · Answer 2

I've always been frustrated by things like that. It's a complete tease that MS built into the system. My answer has always been to use xp_CmdShell for such things... and, no... it's not the security risk that most will make it out to be if you set it up and use it correctly. Having xp_CmdShell turned off will not protect you from anything. If someone get's in with sysadmin privs, they can turn it on. If they can't, they can't use it even if it is turned on. And, except for DBAs that have sysadmin privs, you can allow users to execute stored procedures that use it without give those same users privs to use xp_CmdShell directly.

Of course, I stopped using the SQLCmd mode a very long time ago because it couldn't do things like you describe but that may have changed. I'd love for someone to blast an answer for this.

--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)

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736172 More actions · Answer 3

OK, I played around with this. I think your quotes are the problem. This works for me:

:setvar DirectoryRootPath "C:\Users\Steve\OneDrive\Documents\SQL\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt"

--:!!if exist C:\Users\Steve\OneDrive\Documents\SQL\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt  del C:\Users\Steve\OneDrive\Documents\SQL\StoredProcedureRunTrackerID.txt
!!if exist $(DirectoryRootPath) del $(DirectoryRootPath)

:connect Plato\SQL2017

:out $(DirectoryRootPath)

select * FROM dbo.MyTable

This deletes the text file and puts the data out there

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004323 More actions · Answer 4

Steve,

Will that actually work in a stored procedure? I'm thinking "not" and that it could only work from a "routine" (if you understand the difference) but I could be wrong.

--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)

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736172 More actions · Answer 5

Should not, as a proc is not in SQLCMD mode. What is happening here in a script is SSMS in interpreting this a certain way.

You can call a proc here, but SQLCMD mode is an interactive execution (or using sqlcmd.exe)