toddE: Thank you. You are right that the field separator comes before the table column number. (The "\r" as a field separator got lost by the editor here, I really...

Thanks, Alvin, for the sympathy. I think it is a HUGE flaw the SSIS expects (and can only handle) hand typed column definitions. That combined with the http://FTP...

You are right as usual, Jeff. I was mainly thinking of the cases where a CTE is referenced multiple times, and had always assumed that the results were cached...

As I think I learned long ago, accounting/bookkeeping procedures predate the recognition of negative numbers.

But your management seems ahead of the curve, why don't you ask them to define...

Just in case it might apply, queries that time out under SSMS can run through when invoked in another context. Never have found out why, but don't despair if...

Damn, I learn a lot by lurking on this site. Guess I'll start using more temp tables. Thanks to all.

The single quotes around the sheet name are part of the name, for example:

FROM [DEFS]...['Table Download$']

You will see that if you chose "Script table as/SELECT to/New Query Editor Window" after...

Thanks. That might help.

Jim Russell (9/25/2008)

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So the plan (unless I trip over unforseen obstacles) is:

1.Build a script/query to generate the Schema.ini file describing all my input file formats in the linked directory.

2. Download...

Oliver: Could you show us an example, or perhaps a properties window? I don't understand from your description what goes where. Was yours a multi-user .mdw file, or the default...

Nobody has even noticed that I wore my fat old man costume today...

Outstanding! If only BOL had more of this kind of informative and understandable overview material...

(How did you get so smart, Gail?)

born2bongo (8/19/2008)

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... If I use a date in any format, and I put a single or a double quote around it, I get an error about converting from a...

I decided it wouldn't help either. Sorry.

Have you tried different version of Excel (using Office 2007/2003?)

Can you remove the formatting after the workbook is generated?

Let us know how you finally...

Jeff -- I noticed your:

"Yup, I know about BETWEEN… that would be the subject of whole different article."

and wondered if you ever addressed that more. (I'll admit I didn't get...