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When performing database maintenance you will occasionally find the need to export data out of your database tables to an operating system for storage, or conversely import data to a table from a file. You may find yourself needing to do these tasks for data backup or for inserting data that comes from a 3rd party export. Sybase makes this process simple by the Bulk Copy Utility (BCP).

Basic BCP Usage

BCP as it’s name suggest is used for 1 purpose the bulk copy of data to and from Sybase Tables. To utilize the utility the basic command format is:

bcp DATABASE..TABLE out C:\DB\temp.txt

If you wanted to perform an import you simply switch the out keyword for in.

BCP Option Flags

In addition to the command there are a few options you may also find yourself using.

• Server Flag -S You can specify the Database Server you are accessing by use of the -S flag followed by the Server. (e.g. -S SYBABC )
• User Flag -U If you are not using credentials outlined in your .ini file then you can specify the User you would like to use for authentication using the -U flag followed by the user name. (e.g. -U guest)
• Password Flag -P If no password is supplied then a prompt will occur to input it. You can use the -P flag to specify the password to use to bypass the prompt. (e.g. -P test123)
• Native Format -n To export data in native format which is not readable by looking directly at the file you can use the -n flag. This mode will make it so you don’t have to specify the column format during export.
• Char Format -c To export all data in basic char format then you can use the -c flag. This mode will also make it so you don’t have to specify the column format during export.
• Tab Format -t The default format for delimiting data columns per row is the tab character to specify a different delimiter -t can be used followed by the new delimiter.
• Row Format -r If you want to have a different delimiter then the new line character in your export you can modify it by using the -r flag followed by the new delimiter.

Basic BCP Output Example

bcp DATABASE..TABLE out C:\DB\temp.txt -c -S server -U userName -P password

Basic BCP Input Example

bcp DATABASE..TABLE inC:\DB\temp.txt -c -S server -U userName -P password

The Bulk Copy Utility (BCP) is a very simple and versatile tool. If you find yourself doing a lot of database management you may want to familiarize yourself with it as it can save you a lot of time, effort, and headaches.

Resources

• Sybase Online Manual – BCP Utility Guide

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