SQL Server Management Studio - Query using text file - sql

Question

Let's say I have a text file that has the following lines
102
333
534
Then, in my SQL table, I have a few different columns:
AutoID | Name | Description
--------------------------------------
102  | Jackson  | [Description Here]
241  | Edward   | [Description Here]
333  | Timothy  | [Description Here]
437  | Nikky    | [Description Here]
534  | Jeremy   | [Description Here]
Is there anyway I can parse the text file through SQL Server Management Studio so that it will query the table and pull out every row that has a column (AutoID, in this case) that matches a line in the text file (Note, I only want the rows from a table that I would specify)?
This way I could edit them or update the rows that only match IDs in the text file.
The rows displayed in management studio would look like this.
 AutoID | NAME  | Description
--------------------------------------
102  | Jackson  | [Description Here]
333  | Timothy  | [Description Here]
534  | Jeremy   | [Description Here]

Answer 1

--What you need to do is import the text file into a table in your SQL database, and then compare its values to the table you want to query (which I have called AutoIDTest in my example).
--Using your example data, I've put together the following code that accomplishes this process.
--1. I created a destination table for the text file's values called TextImport. I've called the test text file E:\TestData.txt. Additionally, I'm assuming this text file only has one column, autoID.
--2. Then, I imported the data into the destination table using the BULK INSERT statement.
--3. Finally, I compared the data in TextImport to the table from which you are seeking values using an INNER JOIN statement.
CREATE TABLE AutoIDTest ---Create test table. Since your first column doesn't have a name, I'm calling it ID. I'm assuming AutoID and ID are both of type int.
(
ID int,
AutoID int,
Name varchar(25),
Description varchar(50)
)
INSERT INTO AutoIDTest -- Populate test table
VALUES
( 1, 102, 'Jackson', 'Description1'),
( 2, 241, 'Edward', 'Description2'),
( 3, 333, 'Timothy', 'Description3'),
( 4, 437, 'Nikky', 'Description4'),
( 5, 534, 'Jeremy', 'Description5')
CREATE TABLE TextImport --Create destination table for text file.
(
AutoID varchar(20),
)
BULK INSERT TextImport --Load Data from text file into TextImport table
FROM 'E:\TestData.txt' ---The name and location of my test text file.
WITH
(
ROWTERMINATOR ='\n'
);
SELECT ---Produce Output Data
ID,
t1.AutoID,
Name,
Description
FROM
AutoIDTest AS t1
INNER JOIN
TextImport AS t2
ON t1.autoID = cast(t2.autoID AS int) --convert varchar to int
OUTPUT
-- ID AutoID Name Description
-- --------- ----------- ------------------------- -------------------
-- 1 102 Jackson Description1
-- 3 333 Timothy Description3
-- 5 534 Jeremy Description5