I'm trying to import a text file defined by a .fmt format. Instead of being comma-delimited, this text file is what I would call column-delimited (i.e. the first 8 characters is the first field, the next 3 characters is the second, etc). When I run the query below, I get a "Operating system error code (null)" message, which is odd since I'm using SQL Server 2008r2 with Vista.
Please explain to me what this error message means and how do I get around it? I've googled it and found similar questions on other forums, but they're never really answered.
Here's my query:
BULK INSERT LoadTable FROM '\\Dev2\Queries\Test.txt'
WITH (FIRSTROW = 2,
FORMATFILE = '\\Dev2\fmt\Test.fmt',
KEEPNULLS)
Here's the error I get:
Cannot bulk load because the file "\\Dev2\fmt\test.fmt" could not be read.
Operating system error code (null).
Here's what Test.fmt contains:
9.0
7
1 SQLCHAR 0 8 "" 1 Record_Control_Data SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
2 SQLCHAR 0 3 "" 2 Filler ""
3 SQLCHAR 0 1 "" 3 Member_Code SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
4 SQLCHAR 0 2 "" 4 Member_Sequence_Number SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
5 SQLCHAR 0 9 "" 5 Participant_SSN SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
6 SQLCHAR 0 20 "" 6 LastName SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
7 SQLCHAR 0 250 "\r\n" 7 Filler10 SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
(This test.fmt and test.txt is a simplified version of a dataset with 120 columns. But the error message is the same. Once I can get this test version running, I'll apply the fix to the real data)
In response to the other half-answers around the web, I should have complete read/write permission to these folders & files.
The .fmt
file needs a blank line at the very end.
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