How to export all data from table to an insertable sql format?

Question

Quick and Easy way:

1. Right click database
2. Point to tasks In SSMS 2017 you need to ignore step 2 - the generate scripts options is at the top level of the context menu Thanks to Daniel for the comment to update.
3. Select generate scripts
4. Click next
5. Choose tables
6. Click next
7. Click advanced
8. Scroll to Types of data to script - Called types of data to script in SMSS 2014 Thanks to Ellesedil for commenting
9. Select data only
10. Click on 'Ok' to close the advanced script options window
11. Click next and generate your script

I usually in cases like this generate to a new query editor window and then just do any modifications where needed.

I know this is an old question, but victorio also asked if there are any other options to copy data from one table to another. There is a very short and fast way to insert all the records from one table to another (which might or might not have similar design).

If you dont have identity column in table B_table:

INSERT INTO A_db.dbo.A_table
SELECT * FROM B_db.dbo.B_table

If you have identity column in table B_table, you have to specify columns to insert. Basically you select all except identity column, which will be auto incremented by default.

In case if you dont have existing B_table in B_db

SELECT *
INTO B_db.dbo.B_table
FROM A_db.dbo.A_table

will create table B_table in database B_db with all existing values

Another way to dump data as file from table by DumpDataFromTable sproc

EXEC dbo.DumpDataFromTable
     @SchemaName = 'dbo'
    ,@TableName = 'YourTableName'
    ,@PathOut = N'c:\tmp\scripts\' -- folder must exist !!!'

Note: SQL must have permission to create files, if is not set-up then exec follow line once

EXEC sp_configure 'Ole Automation Procedures', 1; RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;

By this script you can call the sproc: DumpDataFromTable.sql and dump more tables in one go, instead of doing manually one by one from Management Studio

By default the format of generated scrip will be like

INSERT INTO <TableName> SELECT <Values>

Or you can change the generated format into

SELECT ... FROM

by setting variable @BuildMethod = 2

full sproc code:

IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[DumpDataFromTable]') AND type in (N'P', N'PC'))
    DROP PROCEDURE dbo.[DumpDataFromTable]
GO

SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO

-- =============================================
-- Author:    Oleg Ciobanu
-- Create date: 20171214
-- Version 1.02
-- Description:
-- dump data in 2 formats
-- @BuildMethod = 1 INSERT INTO format
-- @BuildMethod = 2 SELECT * FROM format
--
-- SQL must have permission to create files, if is not set-up then exec follow line once
-- EXEC sp_configure 'Ole Automation Procedures', 1; RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
--
-- =============================================
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[DumpDataFromTable]
(
     @SchemaName nvarchar(128) --= 'dbo'
    ,@TableName nvarchar(128) --= 'testTable'
    ,@WhereClause nvarchar (1000) = '' -- must start with AND
    ,@BuildMethod int = 1 -- taking values 1 for INSERT INTO forrmat or 2 for SELECT from value Table
    ,@PathOut nvarchar(250) = N'c:\tmp\scripts\' -- folder must exist !!!'
    ,@AsFileNAme nvarchar(250) = NULL -- if is passed then will use this value as FileName
    ,@DebugMode int = 0
)
AS
BEGIN  
    SET NOCOUNT ON;

        -- run follow next line if you get permission deny  for sp_OACreate,sp_OAMethod
        -- EXEC sp_configure 'Ole Automation Procedures', 1; RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;

    DECLARE @Sql nvarchar (max)
    DECLARE @SqlInsert nvarchar (max) = ''
    DECLARE @Columns nvarchar(max)
    DECLARE @ColumnsCast nvarchar(max)

    -- cleanUp/prepraring data
    SET @SchemaName = REPLACE(REPLACE(@SchemaName,'[',''),']','')
    SET @TableName = REPLACE(REPLACE(@TableName,'[',''),']','')
    SET @AsFileNAme = NULLIF(@AsFileNAme,'')
    SET @AsFileNAme = REPLACE(@AsFileNAme,'.','_')
    SET @AsFileNAme = COALESCE(@PathOut + @AsFileNAme + '.sql', @PathOut + @SchemaName + ISNULL('_' + @TableName,N'') + '.sql')


    --debug
    IF @DebugMode = 1
        PRINT @AsFileNAme

        -- Create temp SP what will be responsable for generating script files
    DECLARE @PRC_WritereadFile VARCHAR(max) =
        'IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE type = ''P'' AND name = ''PRC_WritereadFile'')
       BEGIN
          DROP  Procedure  PRC_WritereadFile
       END;'
    EXEC  (@PRC_WritereadFile)
       -- '  
    SET @PRC_WritereadFile =
    'CREATE Procedure PRC_WritereadFile (
        @FileMode INT -- Recreate = 0 or Append Mode 1
       ,@Path NVARCHAR(1000)
       ,@AsFileNAme NVARCHAR(500)
       ,@FileBody NVARCHAR(MAX)   
       )
    AS
        DECLARE @OLEResult INT
        DECLARE @FS INT
        DECLARE @FileID INT
        DECLARE @hr INT
        DECLARE @FullFileName NVARCHAR(1500) = @Path + @AsFileNAme

        -- Create Object
        EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OACreate ''Scripting.FileSystemObject'', @FS OUTPUT
        IF @OLEResult <> 0 BEGIN
            PRINT ''Scripting.FileSystemObject''
            GOTO Error_Handler
        END    

        IF @FileMode = 0 BEGIN  -- Create
            EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FS,''CreateTextFile'',@FileID OUTPUT, @FullFileName
            IF @OLEResult <> 0 BEGIN
                PRINT ''CreateTextFile''
                GOTO Error_Handler
            END
        END ELSE BEGIN          -- Append
            EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FS,''OpenTextFile'',@FileID OUTPUT, @FullFileName, 8, 0 -- 8- forappending
            IF @OLEResult <> 0 BEGIN
                PRINT ''OpenTextFile''
                GOTO Error_Handler
            END            
        END

        EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FileID, ''WriteLine'', NULL, @FileBody
        IF @OLEResult <> 0 BEGIN
            PRINT ''WriteLine''
            GOTO Error_Handler
        END     

        EXECUTE @OLEResult = sp_OAMethod @FileID,''Close''
        IF @OLEResult <> 0 BEGIN
            PRINT ''Close''
            GOTO Error_Handler
        END

        EXECUTE sp_OADestroy @FS
        EXECUTE sp_OADestroy @FileID

        GOTO Done

        Error_Handler:
            DECLARE @source varchar(30), @desc varchar (200)       
            EXEC @hr = sp_OAGetErrorInfo null, @source OUT, @desc OUT
            PRINT ''*** ERROR ***''
            SELECT OLEResult = @OLEResult, hr = CONVERT (binary(4), @hr), source = @source, description = @desc

       Done:
    ';
        -- '
    EXEC  (@PRC_WritereadFile) 
    EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 0 /*Create*/, '', @AsFileNAme, ''


    ;WITH steColumns AS (
        SELECT
            1 as rn,
            c.ORDINAL_POSITION
            ,c.COLUMN_NAME as ColumnName
            ,c.DATA_TYPE as ColumnType
        FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS c
        WHERE 1 = 1
        AND c.TABLE_SCHEMA = @SchemaName
        AND c.TABLE_NAME = @TableName
    )

    --SELECT *

       SELECT
            @ColumnsCast = ( SELECT
                                    CASE WHEN ColumnType IN ('date','time','datetime2','datetimeoffset','smalldatetime','datetime','timestamp')
                                        THEN
                                            'convert(nvarchar(1001), s.[' + ColumnName + ']' + ' , 121) AS [' + ColumnName + '],'
                                            --,convert(nvarchar, [DateTimeScriptApplied], 121) as [DateTimeScriptApplied]
                                        ELSE
                                            'CAST(s.[' + ColumnName + ']' + ' AS NVARCHAR(1001)) AS [' + ColumnName + '],'
                                    END
                                     as 'data()'                                  
                                    FROM
                                      steColumns t2
                                    WHERE 1 =1
                                      AND t1.rn = t2.rn
                                    FOR xml PATH('')
                                   )
            ,@Columns = ( SELECT
                                    '[' + ColumnName + '],' as 'data()'                                  
                                    FROM
                                      steColumns t2
                                    WHERE 1 =1
                                      AND t1.rn = t2.rn
                                    FOR xml PATH('')
                                   )

    FROM steColumns t1

    -- remove last char
    IF lEN(@Columns) > 0 BEGIN
        SET @Columns = SUBSTRING(@Columns, 1, LEN(@Columns)-1);
        SET @ColumnsCast = SUBSTRING(@ColumnsCast, 1, LEN(@ColumnsCast)-1);
    END

    -- debug
    IF @DebugMode = 1 BEGIN
        print @ColumnsCast
        print @Columns
        select @ColumnsCast ,  @Columns
    END

    -- build unpivoted Data
    SET @SQL = '
    SELECT
        u.rn
        , c.ORDINAL_POSITION as ColumnPosition
        , c.DATA_TYPE as ColumnType
        , u.ColumnName
        , u.ColumnValue
    FROM
    (SELECT
        ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY (SELECT NULL)) AS rn,
    '
    + CHAR(13) + @ColumnsCast
    + CHAR(13) + 'FROM [' + @SchemaName + '].[' + @TableName + '] s'
    + CHAR(13) + 'WHERE 1 = 1'
    + CHAR(13) + COALESCE(@WhereClause,'')
    + CHAR(13) + ') tt
    UNPIVOT
    (
      ColumnValue
      FOR ColumnName in (
    ' + CHAR(13) + @Columns
    + CHAR(13)
    + '
     )
    ) u

    LEFT JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS c ON c.COLUMN_NAME = u.ColumnName
        AND c.TABLE_SCHEMA = '''+ @SchemaName + '''
        AND c.TABLE_NAME = ''' + @TableName +'''
    ORDER BY u.rn
            , c.ORDINAL_POSITION
    '

    -- debug
    IF @DebugMode = 1 BEGIN
        print @Sql     
        exec (@Sql)
    END

    -- prepare data for cursor

    IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#tmp') IS NOT NULL
        DROP TABLE #tmp
    CREATE TABLE #tmp
    (
        rn bigint
        ,ColumnPosition int
        ,ColumnType varchar (128)
        ,ColumnName varchar (128)
        ,ColumnValue nvarchar (2000) -- I hope this size will be enough for storring values
    )
    SET @Sql = 'INSERT INTO  #tmp ' + CHAR(13)  + @Sql

    -- debug
    IF @DebugMode = 1 BEGIN
        print @Sql
    END

    EXEC (@Sql)

 -- Insert dummy rec, otherwise will not proceed the last rec :)
INSERT INTO #tmp (rn)
SELECT MAX(rn) +  1 
FROM #tmp   

    IF @DebugMode = 1 BEGIN
        SELECT * FROM #tmp
    END

    DECLARE @rn bigint
        ,@ColumnPosition int
        ,@ColumnType varchar (128)
        ,@ColumnName varchar (128)
        ,@ColumnValue nvarchar (2000)
        ,@i int = -1 -- counter/flag
        ,@ColumnsInsert varchar(max) = NULL
        ,@ValuesInsert nvarchar(max) = NULL

    DECLARE cur CURSOR FOR
    SELECT rn, ColumnPosition, ColumnType, ColumnName, ColumnValue
    FROM #tmp
    ORDER BY rn, ColumnPosition -- note order is really important !!!
    OPEN cur

    FETCH NEXT FROM cur
    INTO @rn, @ColumnPosition, @ColumnType, @ColumnName, @ColumnValue

    IF @BuildMethod = 1
    BEGIN
        SET @SqlInsert = 'SET NOCOUNT ON;' + CHAR(13);
        EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 1 /*Add*/, '', @AsFileName, @SqlInsert
        SET @SqlInsert = ''
    END
    ELSE BEGIN
        SET @SqlInsert = 'SET NOCOUNT ON;' + CHAR(13);
        SET @SqlInsert = @SqlInsert
                        + 'SELECT *'
                        + CHAR(13) + 'FROM ('
                        + CHAR(13) + 'VALUES'
        EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 1 /*Add*/, '', @AsFileName, @SqlInsert
        SET @SqlInsert = NULL
    END

    SET @i = @rn

    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
    BEGIN

        IF (@i <> @rn) -- is a new row
        BEGIN
            IF @BuildMethod = 1
            -- build as INSERT INTO -- as Default
            BEGIN
                SET @SqlInsert = 'INSERT INTO [' + @SchemaName + '].[' + @TableName + '] ('
                                + CHAR(13) + @ColumnsInsert + ')'
                                + CHAR(13) + 'VALUES ('
                                + @ValuesInsert
                                + CHAR(13) + ');'
            END
            ELSE
            BEGIN
                -- build as Table select
                IF (@i <> @rn) -- is a new row
                BEGIN
                    SET @SqlInsert = COALESCE(@SqlInsert + ',','') +  '(' + @ValuesInsert+ ')'
                    EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 1 /*Add*/, '', @AsFileNAme, @SqlInsert
                    SET @SqlInsert = '' -- in method 2 we should clear script
                END            
            END
            -- debug
            IF @DebugMode = 1
                print @SqlInsert
            EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 1 /*Add*/, '', @AsFileNAme, @SqlInsert

            -- we have new row
            -- initialise variables
            SET @i = @rn
            SET @ColumnsInsert = NULL
            SET @ValuesInsert = NULL
        END

        -- build insert values
        IF (@i = @rn) -- is same row
        BEGIN
            SET @ColumnsInsert = COALESCE(@ColumnsInsert + ',','') + '[' + @ColumnName + ']'
            SET @ValuesInsert =  CASE                              
                                    -- date
                                    --WHEN
                                    --  @ColumnType IN ('date','time','datetime2','datetimeoffset','smalldatetime','datetime','timestamp')
                                    --THEN
                                    --  COALESCE(@ValuesInsert + ',','') + '''''' + ISNULL(RTRIM(@ColumnValue),'NULL') + ''''''
                                    -- numeric
                                    WHEN
                                        @ColumnType IN ('bit','tinyint','smallint','int','bigint'
                                                        ,'money','real','','float','decimal','numeric','smallmoney')
                                    THEN
                                        COALESCE(@ValuesInsert + ',','') + '' + ISNULL(RTRIM(@ColumnValue),'NULL') + ''
                                    -- other types treat as string
                                    ELSE
                                        COALESCE(@ValuesInsert + ',','') + '''' + ISNULL(RTRIM( 
                                                                                            -- escape single quote
                                                                                            REPLACE(@ColumnValue, '''', '''''') 
                                                                                              ),'NULL') + ''''         
                                END
        END


        FETCH NEXT FROM cur
        INTO @rn, @ColumnPosition, @ColumnType, @ColumnName, @ColumnValue

        -- debug
        IF @DebugMode = 1
        BEGIN
            print CAST(@rn AS VARCHAR) + '-' + CAST(@ColumnPosition AS VARCHAR)
        END
    END
    CLOSE cur
    DEALLOCATE cur

    IF @BuildMethod = 1
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'ignore'
    END
    ELSE BEGIN
        SET @SqlInsert = CHAR(13) + ') AS vtable '
                        + CHAR(13) + ' (' + @Columns
                        + CHAR(13) + ')'
        EXEC PRC_WritereadFile 1 /*Add*/, '', @AsFileNAme, @SqlInsert
        SET @SqlInsert = NULL
    END
    PRINT 'Done: ' + @AsFileNAme
END

Or can be downloaded latest version from https://github.com/Zindur/MSSQL-DumpTable/tree/master/Scripts

Command to get the database backup from linux machine terminal.

sqlcmd -S localhost -U SA -Q "BACKUP DATABASE [demodb] TO DISK = N'/var/opt/mssql/data/demodb.bak' WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT, NAME = 'demodb-full', SKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 10"

Backup and restore SQL Server databases on Linux

I wrote this T-SQL code, which allows to generate an import script (that use compress/decompress function available since sql server 2016) this script export able as xml, the xml is convert to varbinary, and this varbinay is compress.

declare @tablename  nvarchar(255) = 'dbo.toto'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

set nocount on

declare @codetab        nvarchar(255) = replace(replace(replace(replace(@tablename,' ','_'), '.','_'),'[', ''),']', '')
declare @nl             nvarchar(2)= char(10) -- + char(13)
declare @tab            nvarchar(1)= char(9)
declare @export         nvarchar(max)
declare @exportcompress nvarchar(max)
declare @sqlgenxml      nvarchar(max)
declare @sqlimport      nvarchar(max) 
declare @sqlstruct      nvarchar(max)
declare @sqlinsert      nvarchar(max)
declare @nbcarmax       int
declare @index          int = 0
declare @cc             int = 0
declare @maxsize        int = 1024

declare @struct table (
    name               nvarchar(255),
    codename           nvarchar(255),
    col_id             int,
    is_nullable        int,
    is_identity_column int,
    is_updateable      int,
    type               nvarchar(255)
)

insert into @struct (name, col_id, type, is_nullable, is_identity_column, is_updateable) 
select
    name,
    column_ordinal,
    system_type_name,
    is_nullable,
    is_identity_column,
    is_updateable
from
    sys.dm_exec_describe_first_result_set('select * from '+@tablename, NULL, 0)

update @struct set codename = replace(replace(replace(replace(name,' ','_'), '.','_'),'[', ''),']', '')

select @nbcarmax=max(len(codename)) from @struct
select @sqlgenxml = coalesce(@sqlgenxml + @tab + ',', @tab + ' ')+ name + replicate(' ', @nbcarmax-len(codename)+3)+' as ' +QUOTENAME(codename)+@nl from @struct order by col_id
select @sqlstruct = coalesce(@sqlstruct + @tab + ',', @tab + ' ')+ quotename(name) + replicate(' ', @nbcarmax-len(codename)+3)+type+case when is_identity_column=1 then ' identity(1,1)' else '' end +@nl from @struct order by col_id
select @sqlinsert = coalesce(@sqlinsert + '--'+ @tab + ',', '--'+@tab + ' ')+ quotename(name) + @nl from @struct order by col_id

set @sqlgenxml = 'set @s =(select'+@nl+@sqlgenxml+'from'+@tab+@tablename+@nl+'for xml path(''row''), root('''+@codetab+'''))'+@nl

exec sp_executesql @sqlgenxml, N'@s nvarchar(max) output', @s=@export output

select @exportcompress = convert(nvarchar(max), COMPRESS(cast(@export as varbinary(max))), 1)


print 'set nocount on'+@nl+@nl
    + '/*'+@nl
    + 'create table '+@tablename+' ('+@nl
    + @sqlstruct 
    + ')' + @nl
    + '*/'+@nl + @nl
    +@nl
    +'declare @import nvarchar(max) ='''''+@nl
    +'declare @xml xml'+@nl
    +@nl
    +'declare @importtab table ('+@nl
    +@tab+'id  int identity(1,1),'+@nl
    +@tab+'row nvarchar(max)'+@nl
    +')'+@nl
    +@nl

while @index<LEN(@exportcompress)
begin
    set @cc+=1
    print 'insert into @importtab (row) values ('''+SUBSTRING(@exportcompress, @index, @maxsize)+''') --'+CAST(@cc as varchar(10))
    set @index+=@maxsize
end

print @nl
    +'select @import += row from @importtab order by id'+@nl
    +'select @import = cast(decompress(convert(varbinary(max), @import, 1)) as nvarchar(max))'+@nl
    + @nl
    +'set @xml=cast(@import as xml)'+@nl
    + @nl

select 
    @sqlimport = 
          coalesce(@sqlimport+@tab+',',@tab+' ')
        + 't.row.value(''./'+codename+'[1]'','
        + replicate(' ', @nbcarmax-len(codename)+3)
        + ''''+type+''''
        + replicate(' ', 20-len(type))
        + ') as '+QUOTENAME(name) 
        +  @nl 
from 
    @struct
set @sqlimport='select'+@nl+@sqlimport+'from'+@nl+@tab+'@xml.nodes(''/'+@codetab+'/row'') as t(row)'

print '-- truncate table '+@tablename+@nl

if exists(select top 1 1 from @struct where is_identity_column = 1)
print '-- set identity_insert '+@tablename+' on'+@nl

print '-- insert into '+@tablename+' ('+@nl+@sqlinsert+'-- )'+@nl+@sqlimport+@nl

if exists(select top 1 1 from @struct where is_identity_column = 1)
print '-- set identity_insert '+@tablename+' off'+@nl

below you can see an example of this script generate (copy/paste from ssms resultat text)

set nocount on

/*
create table dbo.toto (
     [id]           int identity(1,1)
    ,[code]         nvarchar(10)
    ,[value]        numeric(18,9)
    ,[creationdt]   datetime
)
*/


declare @import nvarchar(max) =''
declare @xml xml

declare @importtab table (
    id  int identity(1,1),
    row nvarchar(max)
)


insert into @importtab (row) values ('0x1F8B0800000000000400E4DDD16E246B9A5EE...DE52') --1
...
insert into @importtab (row) values ('890639F9...69A8C486F8405') --3140

select @import += row from @importtab order by id
select @import = cast(decompress(convert(varbinary(max), @import, 1)) as nvarchar(max))

set @xml=cast(@import as xml)


-- truncate table dbo.toto

-- set identity_insert dbo.toto on

-- insert into dbo.toto (
--   [id]
--  ,[code]
--  ,[value]
--  ,[creationdt]
-- )
select
     t.row.value('./id[1]',           'int'                 ) as [id]
    ,t.row.value('./code[1]',         'nvarchar(10)'        ) as [code]
    ,t.row.value('./value[1]',        'numeric(18,9)'       ) as [value]
    ,t.row.value('./creationdt[1]',   'datetime'            ) as [creationdt]
from
    @xml.nodes('/dbo_toto/row') as t(row)

-- set identity_insert dbo.toto off

hop you will find usefull