Batch import TXT into SQL Server TEXT / NTEXT / VARCHAR(MAX) / NVARCHAR(MAX)

Want to batch import TXT (Text) documents into SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) column?

Try Withdata DBBlobEditor, a SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) editor, Bulk import TXT into SQL Server, East and Fast.

• Can run in GUI mode, just a few mouse clicks.
• Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
• Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Download DBBlobEditor
Windows 64 bit
Windows 32 bit
Linux .deb (For Debian, Ubuntu) 64 bit
Linux .rpm (For Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE) 64 bit
MacOS 64 bit

Batch import TXT documents to SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) column

Run DBBlobEditor, login to SQL Server.

Click “Start New Task – Import LOB From Files” at task dialog.

then show the wizard.

1. Configure import TXT settings.

2. Bulk import TXT files to SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB).

then you can see importing results

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More about SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) importer

TXT → SQL Server reference

Type mapping

Value kind	in TXT	in SQL Server
Int	1234, or right-aligned in a fixed-width column	int
Bigint	9007199254740993	bigint
Decimal	1234.56	decimal(p,s)
Float	1.234e+10	float
Text	written as-is; padding depends on the chosen layout	nvarchar(n)
Long text	written as-is	nvarchar(max)
Date	whatever the writer chose	date
Datetime	whatever the writer chose	datetime2
Binary	not representable	varbinary(max)
Boolean	Y / N, or 1 / 0, or TRUE / FALSE	bit

Dialect differences

TXT is a file format and SQL Server is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.

Property	in TXT	in SQL Server
port	—	1433
identifiers	None by convention	[square brackets]
row limit	—	SELECT TOP n
dates	Whatever the writer produced; no convention is guaranteed	datetime, datetime2, date, time
long text	—	nvarchar(max)
binary	Not supported	varbinary(max)
separator	Whatever was chosen - often fixed column widths	—
encoding	No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM	—
typing	None - every field is text	—
shape	Free form; a parser has to be told the layout	Tables of rows and columns
ceiling	No formal limit	—

Command line

Side	Command
SQL Server	bcp
SQL Server (load)	bcp, or BULK INSERT

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