The Syntax diagram for the BCP command is shown below:

C:\>bcp
usage: bcp {dbtable | query} {in | out | queryout | format} datafile
[-m maxerrors] [-f formatfile] [-e errfile]
[-F firstrow] [-L lastrow] [-b batchsize]
[-n native type] [-c character type] [-w wide character type]
[-N keep non-text native] [-V file format version] [-q quoted identifier]
[-C code page specifier] [-t field terminator] [-r row terminator]
[-i inputfile] [-o outfile] [-a packetsize]
[-S server name] [-U username] [-P password]
[-T trusted connection] [-v version] [-R regional enable]
[-k keep null values] [-E keep identity values]
[-h "load hints"]

I am not going to write same things again that I wrote for BCP OUT post (regarding where to find bcp.exe etc). Instead lets go straight into the example.

In the example below I will show you how to take data out from your database table to an operation system file.

Example l. Import data from an operating system file into the database.

This example assumes that you have the login details of the database.  The operating system file that has the data data file name is

Step 1.: Open a DOS prompt and go to C:\ prompt

Step 2. type bcp mydev_db..tbl_params in c:\tbl_params_data1.txt -c -t , -r \n -Usa -Pmypassword

and then hit Enter key. You should get the following output on your DOS window:

Starting copy…

177 rows copied.
Network packet size (bytes): 4096
Clock Time (ms.): total 1Step

3. Inport is now complete. Your data from your text file is now in your database table tbl_params.

Meaning of the parameters supplied in the command:

-c : instructs BCP to perform the bulk copy operation using “character” data type.

-t , : is the filed terminator. Each column will be terminated by “,” which you can look at your output file.

-r \n : is the row terminator. This simply means that put each row of records in a new line.

-U :is the SQL Server user

-P :is the password

To find out whether you have bcp utility properly installed/configured in your machine (of course with SQL Server database) just open a DOS prompt and type bcp abd hit ENTER key as shown below:

C:\>bcp
usage: bcp {dbtable | query} {in | out | queryout | format} datafile
[-m maxerrors] [-f formatfile] [-e errfile]
[-F firstrow] [-L lastrow] [-b batchsize]
[-n native type] [-c character type] [-w wide character type]
[-N keep non-text native] [-V file format version] [-q quoted identifier]
[-C code page specifier] [-t field terminator] [-r row terminator]
[-i inputfile] [-o outfile] [-a packetsize]
[-S server name] [-U username] [-P password]
[-T trusted connection] [-v version] [-R regional enable]
[-k keep null values] [-E keep identity values]
[-h "load hints"]

If you have bcp then you should output something like above. If you don’t see the output, then go to your windows explorer and navigate to the “Binn” sub directory of your installation directory. In my machine it is in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn. In Binn sub directory you should see and executable called bcp.exe – this is the bcp tool that I am going to use to export data to an operating system file. If you have bcp.exe file in a similar directory just add the full path to your environment “path” variable. Otherwise you can run by specifying the full path like C:\>“C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn”\bcp.exe

It looks quite scary to see so many options available and not knowing what to do with them, at least I felt that way when I first saw it. But it is not that difficult and quite easy depending on what you want to do with it.

In the example below I will show you how to take data out from your database table to an operation system file.

Example l. Export all data from a table to a file.

This example assumes that you have the login details of the database.

Step 2. Open a DOS prompt and go to C:\ prompt

Step 2: type bcp mydev_db..tbl_params out c:\tbl_params_data1.txt -c -t , -r \n -Usa -Pmypassword

and then hit Enter key. Depending on the size of the table and data it might take some time to get your prompt back. You should get the following output on your DOS window:

Starting copy…

177 rows copied.
Network packet size (bytes): 4096
Clock Time (ms.): total 15

Step 3. Done. Data from your database table tbl_params is now in your named file tbl_params_data1.txt in your C:\ drive.

Let discuss the parameters that I supplied:

-c : instructs BCP to perform the bulk copy operation using “character” data type.

-t , : is the filed terminator. Each column will be terminated by “,” which you can look at your output file.

-r \n : is the row terminator. This simply means that put each row of records in a new line.

-U :is the SQL Server user

-P :is the password

Example 2. Export selected data from a table to a file.

This example assumes that you have the login details of the database.

Step 1. Open a DOS prompt and go to C:\ prompt

Step 2: type bcp “select * from mydev_db..tbl_params where code like ‘US%’” queryout c:\tbl_params_data1.txt -c -t , -r \n -Usa -Pmypassword

and then hit Enter key. You should get the following output on your DOS window:

Starting copy…

15 rows copied.
Network packet size (bytes): 4096
Clock Time (ms.): total 1

Step 3. Done. Selected data based on your query from your database table is now in your named file t_emp_data2.txt in your C:\ drive.

The meaning of the parameters supplied to the command is explained in example 2 above.

So this demonstrates how easy it is to export (BCP OUT) data from your SQL Server table to a flat file.