In this article I want to show, how you can copy a single text or image value into or out of SQL Server with textcopy.exe utility. You can find this utility in the directory containing the standard SQL Server EXE files (C:MssqlBinn by default for SQL Server 6.5 and C:Mssql7Binn by default for SQL Server 7.0).
The Textcopy utility is not described in SQL Server Books Online, but you can get its description by typing textcopy /? from the command prompt. This is the description:
Copies a single text or image value into or out of SQL Server. The value is a specified text or image 'column' of a single row (specified by the "where clause") of the specified 'table'. If the direction is IN (/I) then the data from the specified 'file' is copied into SQL Server, replacing the existing text or image value. If the direction is OUT (/O) then the text or image value is copied from SQL Server into the specified 'file', replacing any existing file. TEXTCOPY [/S [sqlserver]] [/U [login]] [/P [password]] [/D [database]] [/T table] [/C column] [/W"where clause"] [/F file] [{/I | /O}] [/K chunksize] [/Z] [/?] /S sqlserver The SQL Server to connect to. If 'sqlserver' is not specified, the local SQL Server is used. /U login The login to connect with. If 'login' is not specified, a trusted connection will be used. /P password The password for 'login'. If 'password' is not specified, a NULL password will be used. /D database The database that contains the table with the text or image data. If 'database' is not specified, the default database of 'login' is used. /T table The table that contains the text or image value. /C column The text or image column of 'table'. /W "where clause" A complete where clause (including the WHERE keyword) that specifies a single row of 'table'. /F file The file name. /I Copy text or image value into SQL Server from 'file'. /O Copy text or image value out of SQL Server into 'file'. /K chunksize Size of the data transfer buffer in bytes. Minimum value is 1024 bytes, default value is 4096 bytes. /Z Display debug information while running. /? Display this usage information and exit. You will be prompted for any required options you did not specify. |
You can use the following stored procedure to simplify the using of textcopy utility:
CREATE PROCEDURE sp_textcopy ( @srvname varchar (30), @login varchar (30), @password varchar (30), @dbname varchar (30), @tbname varchar (30), @colname varchar (30), @filename varchar (30), @whereclause varchar (40), @direction char(1)) AS DECLARE @exec_str varchar (255) SELECT @exec_str = 'textcopy /S ' + @srvname + ' /U ' + @login + ' /P ' + @password + ' /D ' + @dbname + ' /T ' + @tbname + ' /C ' + @colname + ' /W "' + @whereclause + '" /F ' + @filename + ' /' + @direction EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @exec_str |
This is the example to copy image into SQL Server database pubs, table pub_info, column name logo from picture.bmp file where pub_id=’0736′:
sp_textcopy @srvname = 'ServerName', @login = 'Login', @password = 'Password', @dbname = 'pubs', @tbname = 'pub_info', @colname = 'logo', @filename = 'c:picture.bmp', @whereclause = " WHERE pub_id='0736' ", @direction = 'I' |