bcp_readfmt

Reads a data file format definition from a user file for a bulk copy between a file and Microsoft® SQL Server™.

Syntax

RETCODE bcp_readfmt (
PDBPROCESS dbproc,
LPCSTR file_name );

Arguments

dbproc

Is the DBPROCESS structure that is the handle for a particular workstation/ SQL Server process. It contains all the information that DB-Library uses to manage communications and data between the workstation and SQL Server.

file_name

Is the full directory and file name specification of the file containing the format definitions.

Returns

SUCCEED or FAIL.

Remarks

After bcp_readfmt reads a data file format definition from a host file, it makes the appropriate calls to bcp_columns and bcp_colfmt. These calls automate the bulk copy of multiple files that share a common data format.

The bulk copy utility (bcp) copies a database table to or from a host file in a user-specified format, which can be saved with bcp in definition files for datafile format. These files can later automate the process of bulk copying files that share a common format. For more information about the bcp utility and definition files for datafile format, see Transact-SQL Reference.

Applications can call bcp_writefmt to create files that define data file formats.

Note The format file cannot have been produced by a version of the bcp utility program earlier than version 4.2.

Examples

The following code fragment shows how to use bcp_readfmt:

bcp_init(dbproc, "mytable", "bcpdata", "bcperrs", DB_IN);

bcp_readfmt(dbproc, "my_fmtfile");

bcp_exec(dbproc, &rows_copied);

See Also