I'm having trouble importing data from a tab-delimited *.txt file into my SQL table using BCP.
I keep getting two "Invalid character value for cast specification" errors.
As a test, I manually inserted a couple of rows. Then I BCP queryout those rows to a *.txt file. Then I tried to BCP import that same data.
With that test I got an "Invalid character value for cast specification" error and a "Unexpected EOF encountered in BCP data-file"
Is there any way to tell what rows/columns are triggering the errors?
Any tips/suggestions for debugging BCP?
#@ Row 1, Column 2: Invalid character value for cast specification @#
1003 1/2/2011 23:59:00 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] <NULL> UPS GRD 42.650 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Seal Style = , Attachment = NONE, Text Separator = NONE, Badge Comments = , badgeURL = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/data/pdf/vhbdab1291672350948.png, RESTXML = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/generate-xml.php?u=vhbdab1291672350948, Base Price = 59.00, Enamel = 0.00, Struck Solid = 0.00, Seal = 0.0 3271.8700 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 3271.8700 1 Visa <NULL> 0
1004 1/3/2011 23:59:00 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Sea
#@ Row 2, Column 2: Invalid character value for cast specification @#
1005 1/4/2011 23:59:00 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] <NULL> UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Seal Style = , Attachment = NONE, Text Separator = NONE, Badge Comments = , badgeURL = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/data/pdf/vhbdab1291672350948.png, RESTXML = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/generate-xml.php?u=vhbdab1291672350948, Base Price = 59.00, Enamel = 0.00, Struck Solid = 0.00, Seal = 0.0 115.9900 8.0000 0.0000 0.0000 123.9900 1 Visa <NULL> 0
1006 2011-01-05 11:27:50.617 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel
I figured out, that you can't BCP import dates as datetime type. So, I'm importing it to a temp table, where the type is varchar, then I'm going to SELECT INTO the table I want. But, even with the target table's column type of varchar, I get an invalid character error.
#@ Row 1, Column 2: Invalid character value for cast specification @#
1003 2011-01-21 12:30:10.917 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] <NULL> UPS GRD 42.650 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Seal Style = , Attachment = NONE, Text Separator = NONE, Badge Comments = , badgeURL = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/data/pdf/vhbdab1291672350948.png, RESTXML = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/generate-xml.php?u=vhbdab1291672350948, Base Price = 59.00, Enamel = 0.00, Struck Solid = 0.00, Seal = 0.0 3271.8700 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 3271.8700 1 Visa <NULL> 0
1004 2011-01-21 12:30:10.917 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Sea
#@ Row 2, Column 2: Invalid character value for cast specification @#
1005 2011-01-21 12:30:10.917 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 <NULL> <NULL> WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] <NULL> UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel 3 = , Panel 5 = , Panel 6 = , Seal Style = , Attachment = NONE, Text Separator = NONE, Badge Comments = , badgeURL = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/data/pdf/vhbdab1291672350948.png, RESTXML = http://www.blackinton.com/design-a-badge/generate-xml.php?u=vhbdab1291672350948, Base Price = 59.00, Enamel = 0.00, Struck Solid = 0.00, Seal = 0.0 115.9900 8.0000 0.0000 0.0000 123.9900 1 Visa <NULL> 0
1006 2011-01-21 12:30:10.917 Neeta Garg <NULL> 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US ambulance Yes Agency 92240099 000026 Neeta Garg 8888 WESTBURY NY 11594 US 2222222222 [email protected] UPS GRD 0.000 AXB479T;67.5900;2|842000YEL;4.2900;22|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;67.0000;1890300;2999.9900;1|B956N;51.8900;1|XSPSPCL;210.0000;1|59047BKLG;9.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1A161BK;115.9900;1 AXB479T;|842000YEL;|B956N;Badge Custom Details : Style = B956, Dimensions = 2 9/16\" x 2 9/16\", Enamel Type = regular, Font = block-black, Panel 2 = , Panel
Answer
I read the this link here http://luke.breuer.com/time/item/bcp_utility_gotchas/46.aspx
It says:
Invalid character value for cast specification The value bcp attempted to upload to a column was the wrong data type. In the simplest cases, this is due to uploading a non-integer value into an integer column, bad date formats, etc. However, it can also occur if {number of columns in data file} != {number of columns in destination table/format file}. A good way to see if there is a column # mismatch is if the error file spit out (you did use -e error.txt, right?) looks like this:
#@ Row 1, Column 9: Invalid character value for cast specification @# 2 0300 HC:36415 21 1 0 20070509 2 3 0300 HC:36415 21 1 0 20070608 2 #@ Row 2, Column 9: Invalid character value for cast specification @# 4 0301 HC:80076 366 1 0 20070509 2 5 0301 HC:80076 366 1 0 20070608 2
Notice that what bcp thinks two rows of data constitute one row to upload to the database. This is because bcp knows that the column delimiters are {tab}, except for the last one, which is {newline} — if it is expecting another column, it'll read right past a {newline}.
Pleas also check if the date formats are properly written. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883503
EDIT 2 - 1241PST
Assuming that your db is SQL Server, and the column data type you're trying to import to is datetime, the format should look like this:
2011-01-21 12:30:10.917
I think I ran into this problem once...
try opening your flat file (.txt with tab delimited) to EXCEL, and from there choose the column and change the format. You can do this by going to the DATA tab in excel, select the column, and hit "text to columns", select delimited, and go finished. All your date and times should appear.
Then you have to select the column again, right click, to format cells, and select DATE in the category list, and change the format to the SQL Server expected standard. If that doesn't help, not sure what else but to try narrowing down the issue by testing simple, small test cases with your tables/database.