Want to update data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to SQL Server ?
Using File To DB, a native GUI tool for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, you can update data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to SQL Server easily and fast.
- Can run in GUI mode, Step by Step, just a few mouse clicks.
- Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
- Convert locally and securely, avoid uploading large or private TXT file(s) to online services.
Download FileToDB
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
Update data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to SQL Server
Login to SQL Server -> Choose TXT file -> Set SQL Server table -> Update TXT to SQL Server
Choose SQL Server and logon.
Click “Wizard – 1 File To 1 Table” at task dialog.
Select the “TXT” file type.
then show the wizard.
1. Open a source TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file.
2. Select a SQL Server table and config fields.
Set “Load Type” to “Update”, choice “By Key”.
3. Preview data.
4. Update TXT data to SQL Server .
View updateed data
Update TXT data to SQL Server in command line
Save session, and then create .bat file for Windows command line, or .sh file for Linux / macOS.
Set scheduled tasks for updating TXT data to SQL Server
You can schedule and automate this “TXT to SQL Server” conversion task by:
1) Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file.
FAQ
More about FileToDB – PIPE to SQL Server converter
Download FileToDB
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
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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