Flat File Connection Manager

The Flat File connection manager enables a data flow task to connect to flat files, such as text files (.txt), comma-separated value files (.csv), and tab-delimited files (.xls, .xlsx) that are not opened by Excel.

Overview

The Flat File connection manager configures the connection to a flat file source or destination. You can specify properties such as the file path, file format, delimiter type, text qualifier, and column names. This allows SSIS to correctly parse the data within the flat file.

Key Properties

When configuring a Flat File connection manager, you will typically set the following important properties:

• File name: The full path to the flat file. You can use relative paths as well.
• Format: Specifies how columns are delimited. Common options include:
  • Delimited: Columns are separated by a specific character (e.g., comma, tab).
  • Fixed width: Columns occupy a specific number of characters.
• Header row delimiter: The character used to delimit rows in the header.
• Column delimiter: The character used to separate columns within a row.
• Text qualifier: The character used to enclose text values that may contain the column delimiter.
• Header rows to skip: The number of rows to skip at the beginning of the file.
• Column names in the first data row: Indicates if the first row of data contains column names.

Configuring the Flat File Connection Manager

You can configure the Flat File connection manager by right-clicking on the connection manager in the Connection Managers pane of a Control Flow or Data Flow tab and selecting "Edit...".

Step-by-step Configuration:

1. In the "Flat File Connection Manager Editor", select the "General" page.
2. Connection manager name: Provide a descriptive name for the connection manager.
3. Description: Optionally add a description.
4. File name: Click "Browse..." to locate your flat file or type the path directly.
5. Format: Choose between "Delimited" or "Fixed width".
6. If "Delimited" is chosen, specify the appropriate Column delimiter and Row delimiter.
7. If "Fixed width" is chosen, you will define column widths in a separate dialog.
8. Select the "Advanced" or "Columns" page to further refine column properties, data types, and lengths.
9. Select the "Preview" page to verify that the data is being parsed correctly.

Usage Examples

The Flat File connection manager is commonly used with:

• Flat File Source: To import data from flat files into a data flow.
• Flat File Destination: To export data from a data flow into flat files.
• Script Component: To read or write custom data to/from flat files using C# or VB.NET code.

Best Practices

• Use clear and consistent naming conventions for your connection managers.
• Store flat files in a stable location and avoid using relative paths that might break if the package is moved.
• Be mindful of character encodings to prevent data corruption.
• Test your configuration with various data scenarios, including edge cases.