Question

I need to load a couple of thousands of data files into SQL Server table.
So I write a stored procedure that receives just one parameter – file name.
But.. The following doesn’t work.. The “compiler” complains on @FileName parameter.. It wants just plain string.. like ‘file.txt’.
Thanks in advance.

Ilan.

BULK INSERT TblValues
FROM @FileName
WITH 
(
FIELDTERMINATOR =',',
ROWTERMINATOR ='\n'
)

Answer 1

The syntax for BULK INSERT statement is :

BULK INSERT 
   [ database_name. [ schema_name ] . | schema_name. ] [ table_name | view_name ] 
      FROM 'data_file' 
     [ WITH 

So, the file name must be a string constant.
To solve the problem please use dynamic SQL:

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(4000) = 'BULK INSERT TblValues FROM ''' + @FileName + ''' WITH ( FIELDTERMINATOR ='','', ROWTERMINATOR =''\n'' )';
EXEC(@sql);