BUG: DTS Stops Responding with Multiple Blank Column Headers in Text Source File

• Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0

SYMPTOMS

Data Transformation Services (DTS) causes Microsoft Management Console to shut down when you try to preview source data or define transforms for a text file source connection that has the First row has column names property selected, and that does not contain non-blank column headers for each data column.

This error occurs when the text file connection has been specified as a fixed width file; the First row has column names property is selected and there is not a distinct column header for each column defined. The error is not specific to either the type of data in the column without the header, or to the storage structure of the package. Having multiple columns with blank headers causes the error to appear when you attempt to preview the source data in the datapump task.

CAUSE

When the First row has column names property is set for the source file, the DTS flat file provider reads the first row of the text file, expecting distinct column names for each defined column. However, when multiple blank columns are encountered it is unable to uniquely identify the columns by name.

WORKAROUND

Here are three possible ways to work around this issue:

1. Edit the source file and remove the first row that contains the column names.



2. Edit the source file so that each data column in the file has a unique, non-blank column name.



3. You can also avoid the problem clearing the First row has column names property for the source connection and setting Skip rows to one (1). This causes the first row in the source file to be skipped when importing or browsing data and also allows the flat file provider to enumerate the columns in the file and assign them unique names. This is the preferred workaround for this problem as it does not require editing the source file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server version 7.0.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbbug7.00 kbSQLServ700bug
Version : winnt:7.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug