bcp_readfmt

Article
01/23/2025

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

Reads a data file format definition from the specified format file.

Syntax

  
RETCODE bcp_readfmt (  
        HDBC hdbc,  
        LPCTSTR szFormatFile);

Unicode and ANSI names:

bcp_readfmtA (ANSI)
bcp_readfmtW (Unicode)

Arguments

hdbc
Is the bulk copy-enabled ODBC connection handle.

szFormatFile
Is the path and file name of the file containing the format values for the data file.

Returns

SUCCEED or FAIL.

Remarks

After bcp_readfmt reads the format values, it makes the appropriate calls to bcp_columns and bcp_colfmt. There's no need for you to parse a format file and make these calls.

To persist a format file, call bcp_writefmt. Calls to bcp_readfmt can reference saved formats. For more information, see bcp_init.

Alternately, the bulk-copy utility (bcp) can save user-defined data formats in files that can be referenced by bcp_readfmt. For more information about the bcp utility and the structure of bcp data format files, see Bulk Import and Export of Data (SQL Server).

The BCPDELAYREADFMT value of the eOption parameter of bcp_control modifies the behavior of bcp_readfmt.

Note

The format file must be produced by version 4.2 or later of the bcp utility.

Example

// Variables like henv not specified.  
HDBC      hdbc;  
DBINT      nRowsProcessed;  
  
// Application initiation, get an ODBC environment handle, allocate the  
// hdbc, and so on.  
...   
  
// Enable bulk copy prior to connecting on allocated hdbc.  
SQLSetConnectAttr(hdbc, SQL_COPT_SS_BCP, (SQLPOINTER) SQL_BCP_ON,  
   SQL_IS_INTEGER);  
  
// Connect to the data source, return on error.  
if (!SQL_SUCCEEDED(SQLConnect(hdbc, _T("myDSN"), SQL_NTS,  
   _T("myUser"), SQL_NTS, _T("myPwd"), SQL_NTS)))  
   {  
   // Raise error and return.  
   return;  
   }  
  
// Initialize bulk copy.   
if (bcp_init(hdbc, _T("myTable"), _T("myData.csv"),  
   _T("myErrors"),    DB_IN) == FAIL)  
   {  
   // Raise error and return.  
   return;  
   }  
  
if (bcp_readfmt(hdbc, _T("myFmtFile.fmt")) == FAIL)  
   {  
   // Raise error and return.  
   return;  
   }  
  
if (bcp_exec(hdbc, &nRowsProcessed) == SUCCEED)  
   {  
   cout << nRowsProcessed << " rows copied to SQL Server\n";  
   }  
  
// Carry on.

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