SQL 2005 and DOS text 1

[jjefferson]

Hi - Using Management Studio query to pull some data, then save the results as a tab-delimited text file for an old DOS program to process. Worked fine with the old Query Analyzer (still have that and am using as an interim workaround).

The problem is that Management Studio seems to be saving the text as Unicode instead of good ole ANSI text, and I can't find any setting in in the product to change the character encoding (only the delimiters). Of course, the old DOS program is choking on this file with double-byte characters, even if the first byte is always a chr(0).

QA had a pulldown in the Save As dialog for "file format", where you could choose unicode, ANSI, or OEM for the character encoding of the results. Nothing similar was found in any Management Studio menu or configuration option, though I could have missed it.

Thanks for any info. We'll be retiring the DOS app eventually but for now have to feed it 8-bit data.

- Jim -

 

[gmmastros]

I assume you are using Results -> To File

When the dialog box opens (where you select the folder and file name), there is a Save button in the lower right corner of the screen. At the far right edge of the save button, there is a little drop down arrow. Clicking the arrow gives 'Save With Encoding'.

Give that a try and see if it works ok for you.

-George

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. - Fortune cookie wisdom

 

[jjefferson]

George - Thanks a million! Exactly what I needed and it solved the problem perfectly.

I can't believe I didn't see that arrow there (forest for the trees, I guess).

Thanks for this!

(red-faced) Jim