[sql-server] Error converting data types when importing from Excel to SQL Server 2008

Every time that I try to import an Excel file into SQL Server I'm getting a particular error. When I try to edit the mappings the default value for all numerical fields is float. None of the fields in my table have decimals in them and they aren't a money data type. They're only 8 digit numbers. However, since I don't want my primary key stored as a float when it's an int, how can I fix this? It gives me a truncation error of some sort, I'll post a screen cap if needed. Is this a common problem?

It should be noted that I cannot import Excel 2007 files (I think I've found the remedy to this), but even when I try to import .xls files every value that contains numerals is automatically imported as a float and when I try to change it I get an error.

http://imgur.com/4204g

A workaround to consider in a pinch:

1. save a copy of the excel file, modify the column to format type 'text'
2. copy the column values and paste to a text editor, save the file (call it tmp.txt).
3. modify the data in the text file to start and end with a character so that the SQL Server import mechanism will recognize as text. If you have a fancy editor, use included tools. I use awk in cygwin on my windows laptop. For example, I start end end the column value with a single quote, like "$ awk '{print "\x27"$1"\x27"}' ./tmp.txt > ./tmp2.txt"
4. copy and paste the data from tmp2.txt over top of the necessary column in the excel file, and save the excel file
5. run the sql server import for your modified excel file... be sure to double check the data type chosen by the importer is not numeric... if it is, repeat the above steps with a different set of characters

The data in the database will have the quotes once the import is done... you can update the data later on to remove the quotes, or use the "replace" function in your read query, such as "replace([dbo].[MyTable].[MyColumn], '''', '')"

Going off of what Derloopkat said, which still can fail on conversion (no offense Derloopkat) because Excel is terrible at this:

1. Paste from excel into Notepad and save as normal (.txt file).
2. From within excel, open said .txt file.
3. Select next as it is obviously tab delimited.
4. Select "none" for text qualifier, then next again.
5. Select the first row, hold shift, select the last row, and select the text radial button. Click Finish

It will open, check it to make sure it's accurate and then save as an excel file.

There seems to be a really easy solution when dealing with data type issues.

Basically, at the end of Excel connection string, add ;IMEX=1;"

Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=\\YOURSERVER\shared\Client Projects\FOLDER\Data\FILE.xls;Extended Properties="EXCEL 8.0;HDR=YES;IMEX=1";

This will resolve data type issues such as columns where values are mixed with text and numbers.

To get to connection property, right click on Excel connection manager below control flow and hit properties. It'll be to the right under solution explorer. Hope that helps.

There is a workaround.

1. Import excel sheet with numbers as float (default).
2. After importing, Goto Table-Design
3. Change DataType of the column from Float to Int or Bigint
4. Save Changes
5. Change DataType of the column from Bigint to any Text Type (Varchar, nvarchar, text, ntext etc)
6. Save Changes.

That's it.

When Excel finds mixed data types in same column it guesses what is the right format for the column (the majority of the values determines the type of the column) and dismisses all other values by inserting NULLs. But Excel does it far badly (e.g. if a column is considered text and Excel finds a number then decides that the number is a mistake and insert a NULL instead, or if some cells containing numbers are "text" formatted, one may get NULL values into an integer column of the database).

Solution:

1. Create a new excel sheet with the name of the columns in the first row
2. Format the columns as text
3. Paste the rows without format (use CVS format or copy/paste in Notepad to get only text)

Note that formatting the columns on an existing Excel sheet is not enough.