sql server bulk insert nulls into time column

Question

I'm having trouble inserting null value from a bulk insert statement.

Two columns are nullable and the Id is identity.

The int nullable workd out fine, but the time doesn't.

• Here the bulk statement:

  BULK INSERT Circulation 
  FROM '.....file.cs' 
  WITH ( FIRSTROW = 2, MAXERRORS = 0, FIELDTERMINATOR = ',', 
       ROWTERMINATOR = '', KEEPNULLS)
  

• Here is an extract of the csv:

  ID, IDStopLine, IDException, Hour, PositionHour, Day
  
  ,28, 8, 12:20, 52, 0
  
  ,29, 163, , 1, 
  

Meaning that I'm trying to insert nulls in those both columns. The result is ithe int column with NULL and the time column with 00:00:00

Answer 1

I don't know why time column insert with 00:00:00, but if you need NULL then it is possible to try create trigger and run BULK INSERT with FIRE_TRIGGER argument

CREATE TRIGGER dateNull ON dbo.Circulation
INSTEAD OF INSERT
AS
BEGIN
  INSERT dbo.Circulation(IdStopline, IdException, Hour, PositionHour, Day) 
  SELECT IdStopline, IdException, NULLIF(Hour, '00:00:00.0000000'), PositionHour, Day FROM inserted
END      

BULK INSERT dbo.Circulation 
FROM 'you_file.csv' 
WITH (FIRSTROW = 2, 
      MAXERRORS = 0, FIELDTERMINATOR = ',',
      ROWTERMINATOR = '\n', KEEPNULLS, FIRE_TRIGGERS)

Answer 2

To insert "NULL" instead of "Default value of Col2", you need to use the -k switch or KEEPNULL option, as demonstrated in the following bcp and BULK INSERT examples.

USE AdventureWorks;
GO
BULK INSERT MyTestDefaultCol2
   FROM 'C:\MyTestEmptyField2-c.Dat'
   WITH (
      DATAFILETYPE = 'char',
      FIELDTERMINATOR = ',',
      KEEPNULLS
   );
GO  

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187887.aspx