Question

SQL Split Function using TAB as the deliniator

Asked by: Peter_Allen

Good evening Experts,

I have a table, Extract, that has some 42 fields.  I have two text files.  One has some of the fields in Extract and the other has the rest.  Both files have some of the same fields.  I was successful in creating a BULK INSERT using a Format File, however, some of the records would get transposed resulting in fewer records being imported.  The text files have TAB as the deliniator.

Since the BULK INSERT didn't go well separating the fields (mainly the last field) I resorted in importing the ENTIRE row into one field in Extract.  This process works every time.

My issue now is breaking up the one large row into separate fields.  I was looking at SPLIT functions.  I was trying to figure out how to write a function to SPLIT each row into respective fields based upon the number of TAB deliniators.

I think temporary tables should be used, but I am unsure as to the approach and subsiquent T-SQL coding.

Could you please give me some guidance.  I want the function to take the SPLIT line (field data) and INSERT it to the real table, Extract.  Thank you in advance for the help.

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Asked On
2009-11-07 at 19:52:02ID24881190
Tags

SQL Server 2005

Topics

Microsoft Development

,

SQL Server 2005

Participating Experts
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Answers

 

by: HainKurtPosted on 2009-11-07 at 20:49:09ID: 25769425

hi,

I have some tools which you can solve your problem...

here is a modified split function of http://www.devx.com/tips/Tip/20009

set ANSI_NULLS ON
set QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
 
ALTER function [dbo].[UTILfn_Split](
 @String nvarchar (4000),
 @Delimiter nvarchar (10)
 )
returns @ValueTable table (n int, length int, Val nvarchar(4000))
begin
 declare @NextString nvarchar(4000)
 declare @Pos int
 declare @NextPos int
 declare @CommaCheck nvarchar(1)
 declare @n int 
 
 --Initialize
 set @NextString = ''
 set @CommaCheck = right(@String,1) 
 
 --Check for trailing Comma, if not exists, INSERT
 --if (@CommaCheck <> @Delimiter )
 set @String = @String + @Delimiter
 
 --Get position of first Comma
 set @Pos = charindex(@Delimiter,@String)
 set @NextPos = 1
 set @n = 1
 
 --Loop while there is still a comma in the String of levels
 while (@pos <>  0)  
 begin
  set @NextString = substring(@String,1,@Pos - 1)
 
  insert into @ValueTable (n, length, Val) Values (@n, @pos, @NextString)
  set @n=@n+1 
  set @String = substring(@String,@pos +1,len(@String))
  
  set @NextPos = @Pos
  set @pos  = charindex(@Delimiter,@String)
 end
 
 return
end
                                              
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by: HainKurtPosted on 2009-11-07 at 20:50:29ID: 25769430

after having this, I have created this function


SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
-- =============================================
-- Author      : HainKurt
-- Create date : Nov 7, 2009
-- Description : Gives nth item in a string seperated by a char
-- =============================================
ALTER FUNCTION nthItem(@s varchar(max), @n int, @del char = ' ') 
RETURNS varchar(4000)
AS
BEGIN
	-- Declare the return variable here
	DECLARE @Value varchar(4000)
 
	-- Add the T-SQL statements to compute the return value here
	SELECT @Value = val from dbo.UTILfn_Split(@s, @del)
	where n=@n
 
	-- Return the result of the function
	RETURN @Value
END
GO
                                              
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by: HainKurtPosted on 2009-11-07 at 20:51:26ID: 25769434

now, after having both

you can run a query like this

select e.*,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 1, ' ') Item1,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 2, ' ') Item2,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 3, ' ') Item3
from extract e

and you can sue this query to insert/update/merge  into your existing table...

 

by: HainKurtPosted on 2009-11-07 at 20:54:05ID: 25769441

here is  a sample...

select e.*,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 1, ' ') Item1,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 2, ' ') Item2,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 3, ' ') Item3,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 4, ' ') Item4,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 5, ' ') Item5,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 6, ' ') Item6,
dbo.nthItem(e.rowline, 7, ' ') Item7
from extract e

 

by: Peter_AllenPosted on 2009-11-08 at 17:15:23ID: 25772873

Hello HainKurt:,

The code you sent works great!  The SPLIT function in particular.  I tried it in a new query using a string I created that had a Tab character.

The code I have below is what I am trying to call the SPLIT function from.  I renamed the function as you can see....


DECLARE @iRecCount integer
DECLARE @iLoop integer
SET @iLoop = 0
SELECT @iRecCount = COUNT(*) FROM [ICMTS-ACTables].[dbo].[tblExtract]
PRINT @iRecCount
WHILE @iLoop < 10
BEGIN
SET @iLoop = @iLoop + 1
SELECT e1.*, dbo.fncSplit(e1.TableLine, CHAR(9)) FROM [ICMTS-ACTables].[dbo].[tblExtract] e1
WHERE @@RowCount = @iLoop - 1
END

The one record that has the TABs in it is called TabLine.  It is the only field in the one table I used to import the text file to using BULK INSERT.  The problem I am having now is that when I ran the code aboe with the fncSplit in it SQL Server indicates that it cannot find the function.  The function is in the same database as the Extract table that I am working with.  I used the iLoop so I could use the specific RowCount to work with specific rows one at a time.

Is this an OK approach or is there a better one?

The tblExtract table has one field as mentioned.  This Stored Procedure will read each line from tblExtract and SPLIT the row into the respective fields into a different table called tblAssetExtract.  Each row has about 42 fields.  Some of the feals can be NULL.

The end result of this question will be that the SPLIT function will use the tblExtract to hold all of the BULK INSERTed text and tblAssetExtract will hold the results after each record is separated into its respective fields.

Just so you know there is another file that will be imported after the first which has a different group of fields.  This is just background information for you.

 

by: HainKurtPosted on 2009-11-08 at 18:18:23ID: 25773032

it is a table function so, you should use it like a table
try to put a line id to your table, with just one column, probably you will loose track of values...

check post 25769441, which I have one table with two columns, rowid and text column...

 

by: Peter_AllenPosted on 2009-11-09 at 08:56:50ID: 25777701

Hello HainKurt,

I see.  That is why the second function was created.  The function works well indeed.  I used it to return the 32 fields from the table.  The table has some 26,000+ records in it.  Is there a way to spead up this process?  Right now it is taking around 10 minutes to complete.

I also think that the way these functions are set up I can use 'Item#' as the field to store in the desired table.

 

by: Peter_AllenPosted on 2009-11-12 at 03:14:54ID: 31651491

I did not receive a response to my last query on this question.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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