Using bcp utility to export SQL queries to a text file

Question

I debug a stored procedure (SQL Server 2005) and I need to find out some values in a datatable.

The procedure is run by an event of the application and I watch just the debugging output.

I do the following my stored procedure (SQL Server 2005), I took a system table (master.dbo.spt_values) as example:

set @logtext = 'select name, type from master.dbo.spt_values where number=6'
--set @logtext = 'master.dbo.spt_values'
SET @cmd = 'bcp ' + @logtext + ' out "c:\spt_values.dat" -U uId -P uPass -c'
EXEC master..XP_CMDSHELL @cmd 

So, when I uncomment the second like everything works, a file apprears on the C:\ drive... but if I coment it back leaving only the first line, any output is generated.

How to fix this problem?

Answer 1

bcp out exports tables.

To export a query use queryout instead - you'll need to wrap your query in "double quotes"

set @logtext = '"select name, type from master.dbo.spt_values where number=6"' 
--set @logtext = 'master.dbo.spt_values' 
SET @cmd = 'bcp ' + @logtext + ' queryout "c:\spt_values.dat" -U uId -P uPass -c' 
EXEC master..XP_CMDSHELL @cmd  

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162802.aspx