Data Import from Excel File and Build an Automated Insert Script to Export into Excel File or to Export into SQL Server Table

Sometimes, it is necessary to import data from Excel file and insert into SQL Server table or build an automated script for inserting data into SQL Server table or build an automated script for inserting data and save into another Excel file to insert later. Today, I will discuss all the possibilities to solve this kind of problem. You need to follow one or more than one step of the following depending on your requirements.

Step 1: How to Import Data from Excel to SQL Server 2005

SQL Server OpenRowSet command makes the data transformation easily. You can use the following simple command to get the data from Import.xls file and stored into new table tmpTable1. You can perform an additional check whether the table is already existing or not. You have to specify the parameter for driver, file path and query into OpenRowSet().

SELECT * INTO [dbo].[tmpTable1] FROM OPENROWSET _
('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0', 'Excel 8.0;Database=c:\Import.xls;','SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$]')

Note: The following error could be raised if you do not configure the Surface Area Configuration below.

Error: SQL Server blocked access to STATEMENT 'OpenRowset/OpenDatasource' of component 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries' because this component is turned off as part of the security configuration for this server. A system administrator can enable the use of 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries' by using sp_configure. For more information about enabling 'Ad Hoc Distributed Queries', see "Surface Area Configuration" in SQL Server Books Online.

Enable OPENROWSET and OPENDATASOURCE SUPPORT from the Surface Area Configuration to avoid error:

Step 2: How to Build a Data Insert Query Script Programmatically by Stored Procedure

The following stored procedure will return you the Insert Commands in the result Set. You can copy it from the results Grid and run from the Query Editor in SQL Server 2005 Management Studio.

i.e.  EXEC SP_DataInsertScript 'InsertTblName'
===================================================================================
Create Procedure SP_DataInsertScript
@InsertTblName varchar(128)
as
/*
exec SP_DataInsertScript 'InsertTblName'
*/
DECLARE @TblName varchar(128) 
SELECT @TblName = 'tmpTable1' 
    
      create table #temp (id int identity (1,1), ColType int, ColName varchar(128))
 
      insert      #temp (ColType, ColName)
      select case when DATA_TYPE like '%char%' then 1 else 0 end ,
            COLUMN_NAME
      from information_schema.columns
      where       TABLE_NAME = @TblName
      order by ORDINAL_POSITION
      
      if not exists (select * from #temp)
      begin
            raiserror('No columns found for table %s', 16,-1, @TblName)
            return
      end
 
declare     @id int ,
      @maxid int ,
      @cmd1 varchar(7000) ,
      @cmd2 varchar(7000) , 
 
      select      @id = 0 ,
            @maxid = max(id)
      from #temp
 
      select      @cmd1 = 'select '' insert ' + @InsertTblName + ' ( '
      select      @cmd2 = ' + '' select '' + '
      while @id < @maxid
      begin
            select @id = min(id) from #temp where id > @id
 
            select      @cmd1 = @cmd1 + ColName + ','
            from #temp
            where id = @id
 
            select @cmd2 =    @cmd2
                        + ' case when ' + ColName + ' is null '
                        +     ' then '''' '
                        +     ' else '
                        +      case when ColType = 1 then ''''''''' + ' + _
                               ColName + ' + ''''''''' else 'convert(varchar(20),' + ColName + ')' end
                        + ' end + '','' + '
            from #temp
            where id = @id          
      end 
 
      select @cmd1 = left(@cmd1,len(@cmd1)-1) + ' ) '' '
      select @cmd2 = left(@cmd2,len(@cmd2)-8) + ' from ' + @tblName
 
     exec (@cmd1 + @cmd2)
      drop table #temp
===========================================================================

Step 3: How to Dump Insert Query into Another Excel File

If you want to dump resultset into Excel File, then you need to store the resultset in another temporary table and export from table into Excel file using bcp command. Let me explain how to do it:

DECLARE @QueryString varchar(1000)
SET XACT_ABORT ON
BEGIN TRAN
CREATE TABLE testObjects1 ( QueryString varchar(1000) NOT NULL ) 
INSERT testObjects1 EXEC SP_DataInsertScript 'InsertTblName'
COMMIT TRAN

The above command will store the result set into testObjects1 Table. Now you have execute bcp command to export into Excel file.

Run the following command from the Query Window:

EXEC Master..xp_cmdshell 'bcp [dbo].testObjects1 out C:\Result.xls -U {UserName} 
-P {Pass} -S {ServerName} -T –c{or –n(binary)}'

Note: You have to Enable xp_cmdshell from the Surface Area Configuration to run the above command.

You can also run the following command from the command Prompt:

bcp [dbo].testObjects1 out C:\Result.xls -U {UserName} -P {Pass} 
-S {ServerName} -T –c{or –n(binary)}

The Result Excel file should be generated with Insert command here C:\Result.xls.

References

• bcp utility SQL Server 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162802.aspx
• bcp utility SQL Server 2005: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162802(SQL.90).aspx
• OPENROWSET: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa276850(SQL.80).aspx