Export Column Transformation

The Export Column transformation reads data in a data flow and inserts the data into a file. For example, if the data flow contains product information, such as a picture of each product, you could use the Export Column transformation to save the images to files.

You can configure the Export Column transformation in the following ways:

• Specify the data columns and the columns that contain the path of files to which to write the data.

• Specify whether the data-insertion operation appends or truncates existing files.

• Specify whether a byte-order mark (BOM) is written to the file.

  Note

  A BOM is written only when the data is not appended to an existing file and the data has the DT_NTEXT data type.

The transformation uses pairs of input columns: One column contains a file name, and the other column contains data. Each row in the data set can specify a different file. As the transformation processes a row, the data is inserted into the specified file. At run time, the transformation creates the files, if they do not already exist, and then the transformation writes the data to the files. The data to be written must have a DT_TEXT, DT_NTEXT, or DT_IMAGE data type. For more information, see Integration Services Data Types.

This transformation has one input, one output, and one error output.

Setting the Append and Truncate Options

The following table describes how the settings for the append and truncate options affect results.

Append	Truncate	File exists	Results
False	False	No	The transformation creates a new file and writes the data to the file.
True	False	No	The transformation creates a new file and writes the data to the file.
False	True	No	The transformation creates a new file and writes the data to the file.
True	True	No	The transformation fails design time validation. It is not valid to set both properties to true.
False	False	Yes	A run-time error occurs. The file exists, but the transformation cannot write to it.
False	True	Yes	The transformation deletes and re-creates the file and writes the data to the file.
True	False	Yes	The transformation opens the file and writes the data at the end of the file.
True	True	Yes	The transformation fails design time validation. It is not valid to set both properties to true.

Configuring the Export Column Transformation

You can set properties through SSIS Designer or programmatically.

For more information about the properties that you can set in the Export Column Transformation Editor dialog box, see Export Column Transformation Editor (Columns Page).

The Advanced Editor dialog box reflects the properties that can be set programmatically. For more information about the properties that you can set in the Advanced Editor dialog box or programmatically, click one of the following topics:

• Common Properties

• Transformation Custom Properties

For more information about how to set properties, see How to: Set the Properties of a Data Flow Component.

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See Also

Concepts

Import Column Transformation

Creating Package Data Flow

Integration Services Transformations