Data Import and Export Tools for SQL Server

The integrated data import/export utility will greatly save your time, as well as make the data export/import process more comfortable, efficient, and effortless.

With dbForge Studio for SQL Server, you can easily migrate SQL data to and from the most widely-used data formats. The Data Import/Export tools that the Studio incorporates allow you to customize and manage the whole process, create templates for future use, specify error processing options as well as write reports to a log file.

Automate and schedule data export and import tasks via the Command Line
Export data to 14 most popular data formats
Import data from 10 commonly used data formats
Migrate data between heterogeneous servers through ODBC
Use templates to customize import and export jobs

Supported Data Export/Import Formats

Data Export

14 Supported Export File Formats

With the SQL Data Export utility that comes with dbForge Studio for SQL Server, you can export database data in the following formats:

HTML
Text
MS Excel
MS Excel 2007
Google Sheets
MS Access
RTF

PDF
JSON
XML
CSV
OBDC
DBF
SQL

The tool incorporates a convenient step-by-step Data Export Wizard that helps perform export tasks in just a few clicks.

Data Export tool for SQL Server - SQL Export to 14 formats

Select Data for Export

When performing export tasks with the SQL Data Export tool you can select

SQL Server connection
a database
table(s)
view(s)

you want to export.

With dbForge Studio for SQL Server transferring data across different servers and IDEs is quick and easy.

Data Export utility for SQL Server - Export Source

Export Options

With the Data Export utility for SQL Server, you can customize table grid options for exported data.

You can configure:

Header text color and background
The width and color of borders
The text color and background of rows

In the Preview section, you can check how the exported dataset will look like.

For convenience, you can make even and odd rows look different.

SQL Server Data Export utility - Data export options

Customizable Data Format

To encourage and deliver unified data standards within your team, you can customize data format for the exported datasets.

On the Columns tab, you also assign the following data types for columns:

Integer
Date
Time
String
HexString
Float
Currency
DateTime
Boolean

SQL Server Data Export tool - Data formats

Select Rows for Export

With the SQL Server Data Export tool, you don't have to export the whole table. You can select to export all rows, export the selected rows only, or export the range of rows.

The selective export feature facilitates data transfer and analysis as well as greatly saves time.

Errors Handling

On the Errors handling tab of the Data Export Wizard, you can specify errors processing behavior and logging options:

Prompt a user for an action
Ignore all errors
Abort at the first error

Here, y can also select to create a log file with a report and set a path to it.

SQL Data Export utility - Errors handling

Save Templates

The SQL Data Export tool allows you to save export options templates for repetitive export tasks.

With the feature, you do not need to waste your time configuring options over and over again: just use templates to apply the options to any number of export jobs.

Export SQL Server data - Export templates

Export From the Command Line

The Data Export tool supports the command-line interface, making it quicker and easier to perform routine export jobs.

Use the command-line interface or PorwerShell to automate routine data export tasks.
Save data export command as a command-line execution file (.bat) and run it whenever you need.
Schedule a batch file execution via the Windows Scheduler to simplify your database operations.

Migrate SQL data - Export from the command line

Data Import

SQL Import Formats

The Data Import tool for SQL Server that comes with dbFoge Studio for SQL Server enables you to import SQL Server database data from the following formats:

Text
MS Excel
MS Excel 2007
Google Sheets
MS Access

XML
JSON
CSV
OBDC
DBF

The tool incorporates a user-friendly step-by-step Data Import Wizard that helps perform import tasks in just a few clicks.

SQL Server Data Import tool - Import destination

Import to a New Table

When performing a data import operation with the SQL Data Import utility you can select to import to a different:

SQL Server connection
database
schema

The toll also makes it possible to import data to a new or existing table, thus allowing you to quickly and easily transfer data between different databases and servers.

Import Options

With the Data Import tool, you can set import options according to your project requirements.

Сustom settings depend on the data import format selected.

SQL Server Data Import - Import data formats

Configure Data Formats

With dbForge Studio for SQL Server you can embrace unified data standards for your team or organization.

On the Data formats tab, you can customize:

Null string
Thousand separator
Decimal separator
Boolean
Date and Time format

What is more - you can set options for each column separately.

Data Import tool for SQL Server - Exporting rows

Mapping Options

Column mapping is one of the core features enabling cross database support within a single schema

When you import data into a new table, the Data Import tool will automatically create and map all the columns. But when you import data into an already existing table, the columns with the same names will be mapped immediately by the tool, while the others you will have to map manually.

Data Import Modes

When importing data with dbForge Studio for SQL Server, you can choose a data import mode to best fit the needs of your project:

Append
Update
Append\Update
Delete
Repopulate

You can also select to import data in a single transaction and/or use a bulk insert.

Data Import Output

On the Output tab of the Data Import wizard, you can select options to manage the data import script output:

Open the script in the internal editor
Save the script to a file
Import data directly to the database.

The tool also allows to automatically add timestamp to the file name and select a folder to save the file to.

Data Import for SQL Server - Import Errors handling

Manage Import Errors

The dbForge Data Import tool allows you to customize errors handling behavior and logging options according to your project needs and requirements.

Managing errors processing helps significantly save database development, administration, and maintenance time.

Data Import utility for SQL Server - Import Templates

Saving Import Templates

Saving Import Templates feature of the Data Import tool allows significantly speeding up recurring data import tasks. You can re-use templates as many times as you want.

It is also possible to share templates with the team to save time and sustain data standardization.

Command-line Import

The tool allows importing files or tables from the Command Line. It is also possible to perform command-line import operations using templates.

With the Data Import tool, you can:

Override a connection specified in the template.
Create a new table during import.
Import data with settings specified in a template.
Specify a file with the data you want to import.
Specify a target table.
Specify a table or view to import the data from.
Specify the application behavior when an error is encountered.

Conclusion

dbForge Studio for SQL Server is a feature-rich IDE that has built-in advanced tools for filling SQL Server databases with external source data and migrating data between systems. The tools support 10+ widely used data formats and can boast a number of advanced options, templates for recurring scenarios, Command Line support, and many many more.