Copy Datatable to SqlServer New or Existing Table with BulkCopy - sql-server

Question

Is there a way to copy a in memory datatable (vb.net) and its columns(schema) into a sql server new or existing table? And if a column has been added to the temp table is there a way to BulkCopy the data adding the new column into existing sql server table?

Answer 1

Here is what I use to persist a DataTable to SQL Server, it is written in C# but you should be able to convert it rather easily:
public static string CreateCopyTableDataSQLServer(DataTable dt, string tableName, string connectionString)
{
//Create the Destination Table based upon the structure of the DataTable
string sql = string.Empty;
string retValue = string.Empty;
StringBuilder sbu;
try
{
if (dt.Rows.Count == 0)
{
retValue += "The table " + tableName + " was NOT created because the source table contained zero (0) rows of data";
}
else
{
sbu = new StringBuilder(string.Format("IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects WHERE object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[{0}]') AND type in (N'U')) DROP TABLE [dbo].[{0}] ", tableName));
sbu.Append("Create Table " + tableName + " (");
string dataType = string.Empty;
foreach (DataColumn column in dt.Columns)
{
switch (column.DataType.Name)
{
case "String":
dataType = " nvarchar(MAX) ";
break;
case "DateTime":
dataType = " nvarchar(MAX) ";
break;
case "Boolean":
dataType = " nvarchar(MAX) ";
break;
case "Int32":
dataType = " int ";
break;
case "Byte[]":
dataType = " varbinary(8000) ";
break;
default:
dataType = " nvarchar(MAX) ";
break;
}
string columnName = column.ColumnName.ToString();
columnName = columnName.FormatProperNameCase();
columnName = column.ColumnName.ToString().Replace(" ", "_").Replace("-", "_").Replace("#", "_").FormatRemoveNonLettersNumbers();
sbu.Append("[" + columnName + "]" + dataType + " null, ");
}
sbu.Remove(sbu.Length - 2, 2);
sbu.Append(")");
sql = sbu.ToString();
sql = sql.Replace("/", "_").Replace("\\", "_");
//Copy the Data From the Data Table into the destination Table that was created above
bool errorRetValue = SQLServerBulkCopy(dt, sql, tableName, connectionString);
if (!errorRetValue)
{
retValue += " \r\n";
retValue += "There was an error!";
}
}
return retValue;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
retValue = string.Format("Error - There was a problem with table {0} and thus it's data has NOT been transferred - {1}", tableName, ex.Message);
return retValue;
}
}
public static bool SQLServerBulkCopy(DataTable dt, string Sql, string TableName, string connectionString, bool connectionTypeSQL = true)
{
try
{
if (connectionTypeSQL)
{
using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString))
{
conn.Open();
using (SqlBulkCopy sqlcpy = new SqlBulkCopy(conn))
{
using (SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(Sql, conn))
{
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
sqlcpy.DestinationTableName = TableName; //copy the datatable to the sql table
sqlcpy.WriteToServer(dt);
}
}
}
return true;
}
else
{
throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("This method is only for SQL Server Engines");
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return false;
}
}

Answer 2

For creating a new table:
select *
into YourDb.dbo.NewTable
from #YourTempTable
To append to an existing table:
insert YourDb.dbo.ExistingTable
select *
from #YourTempTable

Answer 3

Where I work they wouldn't allow Linked Servers so I transferred two tables form different servers across using VB.NET:
Copying source Sql table into Datatable
Mapping columns in Datatable
Copying Datatable into destination Sql table
The code is below:
Sub BulkTransferSQLTables(strSchema As String, strTable As String, StrOutputServer As String, StrOutputDatabase As String) ', strEndSrvrDb As String)
Dim DTBulkTransfer As New DataTable
'get table of information
Dim strSchemaTable As String = strSchema & "." & strTable
Dim sqlstring As String = "Select * from " & strSchemaTable
Dim Conn As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection("Data Source=" & PubstrServer & ";Initial Catalog=" & PubstrDatabase & ";Integrated Security=True") 'connection to server end
Dim selectCMD As SqlCommand
Dim adapter As SqlDataAdapter
adapter = New SqlDataAdapter(sqlstring, Conn)
'fill dataset
Conn.Open()
adapter.Fill(DTBulkTransfer)
'Debug.Print(DTBulkTransfer.Rows.Count & " Rows, " & DTBulkTransfer.Columns.Count & " Cols ") 'works
'build create table statement using details of destination table
Dim strColname As String
Dim intRecCount As Integer
'Dim strSchema As String = "SuffolkPseudo"
'Dim strTable As String = "Acute_Supporting"
strSchemaTable = strSchema & "." & strTable
Dim strCreateTableSQL As String = "CREATE TABLE [" & StrOutputDatabase & "].[" & strSchema & "].[" & strTable & "]("
Dim strSQL As String = " select [Statement], [RowNo] = ROW_NUMBER() OVER (ORDER BY Statement) FROM [" & PubstrDatabase & "].[dbo].[vwTableAndColumns] " & _
"where [TABLE_SCHEMA] = '" & strSchema & "' and table_name = '" & strTable & "'"
Dim strSQL2 As String = "" & _
" with CTE as ( " & _
" " & _
strSQL & _
" ) " & _
" " & _
" select count(*) from CTE "
intRecCount = GetSQLTableVal(strSQL2)
For X = 1 To intRecCount
strSQL2 = "" & _
" with CTE as ( " & _
" " & _
strSQL & _
" ) " & _
" " & _
" select * from CTE "
strColname = GetSQLTableVal(strSQL2 & " Where [RowNo] = " & X)
strCreateTableSQL = strCreateTableSQL & " " & Chr(13) & strColname
Next
strCreateTableSQL = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Left(strCreateTableSQL, Microsoft.VisualBasic.Len(strCreateTableSQL) - 1) & ") ON [PRIMARY] TEXTIMAGE_ON [PRIMARY]"
Debug.Print(strCreateTableSQL)
Conn.Close()
Dim Conn2 As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection("Data Source=" & StrOutputServer & ";Initial Catalog=" & StrOutputDatabase & ";Integrated Security=True") 'connection to server end
'create sql string to check if table exists or not.
strSQL = " select count(*) FROM [" & StrOutputDatabase & "].sys.Tables as t1 " & _
" inner join [" & StrOutputDatabase & "].sys.schemas as t2 " & _
" ON t1.schema_id = t2.schema_id" & _
" where t2.name = '" & strSchema & "' " & _
" and t1.name = '" & strTable & "'"
If GetSQLTableValExternalServer(strSQL, StrOutputServer, StrOutputDatabase) > 0 Then
Conn2.Open()
'drop old table in destination area and recreate table.
strSQL = "drop table " & StrOutputDatabase & "." & strSchema & "." & strTable
selectCMD = New SqlCommand(strSQL, Conn2)
selectCMD.CommandTimeout = 600
selectCMD.ExecuteNonQuery()
Conn2.Close()
End If
Conn2.Open()
'create the table structure
selectCMD = New SqlCommand(strCreateTableSQL, Conn2)
selectCMD.CommandTimeout = 600
selectCMD.ExecuteNonQuery()
'list datatable columns
Dim name(DTBulkTransfer.Columns.Count) As String
Dim i As Integer = 0
'transfer to sql database from datatable to newly created empty detsination table
Using bulkcopy As SqlBulkCopy = New SqlBulkCopy(Conn2)
bulkcopy.BulkCopyTimeout = 3000
bulkcopy.DestinationTableName = strSchemaTable
For Each column As DataColumn In DTBulkTransfer.Columns
name(i) = column.ColumnName
Dim ColMap As New SqlBulkCopyColumnMapping(name(i).ToString, name(i).ToString)
bulkcopy.ColumnMappings.Add(ColMap)
Debug.Print("dt COLUMN: " & name(i).ToString)
i += 1
Next
bulkcopy.WriteToServer(DTBulkTransfer)
End Using
Conn2.Close()
MsgBox("Bulk Transfer Complete")
End Sub
Thanks
Eddy Jawed