Saturday, October 14, 2006

Sql Server DTS Truncates Text While Exporting: Fix

When you use the Data Transformation Services (DTS) Export/Import wizard, DTS may truncate column strings that are over 255 characters long if all of the following conditions exist:
The column is a character data type (varchar, char, nvarchar, nchar) and the column length is greater than 255 characters.

DTS exports the column to a text file.

Delimited fields are used for exporting.

WORKAROUND

Here are several methods that you can use to work around this problem:
Use fixed fields and export to a text file with the DTS Wizard or Package Designer. Both the DTS Export/Import Wizard and the DTS Package Designer provide the option to use fixed fields when you export data to a text file.

To use the DTS Export/Import wizard, you will see the following prompt when you choose the destination text file:
Select Destination File Format
You want to select Fixed field - information is assigned into columns of equal width.

To use the DTS Package Designer, you will see the following prompt when you are setting up the destination text file:
Select file format
You want to select Fixed field - information is assigned into columns of equal width.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good suggestion, but do you have any advice on if one needs to use the default (non-fixed-length) option.

Currently, I am converting the varchar to a text field, exporting, and then converting it back. Bleh!

2:34 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home