Load text into SQL Server via Powershell - sql-server

Question

I am loading character data read from a file row by row into a SQL table. The table is:
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[PSFileOrder](
[PSFOrder_Id] [int] IDENTITY(0,1) NOT NULL,
[PSFile] [varchar](255) NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT [PK_PSFileOrder] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
(
[PSFOrder_Id] ASC
)WITH (PAD_INDEX = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
) ON [PRIMARY]
The powershell code I am using is
#LoadPSFile
$PSFile = "d:\ps\xx.ps1"
cls
$xy = Get-content $PSFile
$xy
foreach($xy in $xy) {invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$xy')"}
If the file I am loading is:
#Filename
#The first line will always be the file name
cls
$filter = "*.*"
$folder = "\\localhost\d$\Master\men and their toys"
$filecount = (Get-ChildItem -literalpath $folder -filter $filter).Countem -literalpath $folder -filter $filter).Countem -literalpath $folder -filter $filter).Countem -literalpath $folder -filter $filter).Count
If ($filecount -lt 1) {$filecount = 0}
"There are {0} files in the {1} directory" -f $filecount, $folder
the file loads without error. If there is a single quote in the text
"There are {0} files in the {1} d'irectory" -f $filecount, $folder
then I will recieve this error
Invoke-Sqlcmd : Incorrect syntax near 'irectory'.
Unclosed quotation mark after the character string ' -f $filecount, $folder')
;'.
At C:\Users\RC\AppData\Local\Temp\2ed13f21-5b46-4df4-a5ee-2488c3dd5ee4.ps1:6 char:35
+ foreach($xy in $xy) {invoke-sqlcmd <<<< -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$xy')"}
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [Invoke-Sqlcmd], SqlPowerShellSqlExecutionException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : SqlError,Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.PowerShell.GetScriptCommand
I do believe the error is caused by the way I have written the "-query" statement using single quotes arount the $xy variable.
My questions are:
Have I crafted the Invoke-sqlcmd correctly?
Is there a substitue for the single quote around $xy?
Is there a better way to load the text?
I want to maintain the one to one relationship of the text file and row in the db.
Thanks
RC
Two answers put me on the correct path of doubling the single quote prior to loading to SQL. The revised code is
#LoadPSFile
cls
Get-content "d:\ps\xx.ps1" |
Foreach-Object {$_ -replace "'", "''"} |
ForEach-Object{invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$_')"}

Answer 1

You get malformed SQL syntax. I believe the quick fix is to replace any single quote with two single quotes in $xy:
$escaped = $xy.Replace("'", "''")
invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$escaped')"
# or (the same but without the intermediate variable):
invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query #"
Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$($xy.Replace("'", "''"))')
"#
But this is perhaps not the best way. Unfortunately I am not familiar with invoke-sqlcmd capabilities. If it supports parameterized queries I would go that way and supply $xy value as it is as a parameter value (no preparation of $xy would be needed in such a case).

Answer 2

You must double the apostrophes within the string
foreach($xy in $xy)
{
$xy = $xy -replace "'", "''"
invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values ('$xy')"
}
when performance is an issue, you choose some bulkcopy solultion. In the SQLPSX project
there is a module adolib.psm1 which contains a function invoke-bulkcopy
link text

Answer 3

A better solution would be to use ADO.NET paramaterized queries via the SqlCommand.Parameters property. This will solve your single apostrophe error as well as scrub your input for anything else that could create a sql error.
Unfortunately Invoke-SqlCmd does not allow you to do this. However, I modified Chad Miller's Invoke-SqlCmd2 to allow you to do this. Include Invoke-SqlCmd2.ps1 in your profile and change your script like so:
foreach($xy in $xy) {invoke-sqlcmd -serverInstance localhost\sqlexpress -query "Insert AA.dbo.PSFileOrder(PSFile) Values (#xy)" -SqlParamaters #{ '#xy' = $xy}}