How to BULK INSERT a file into a *temporary* table where the filename is a variable?

Question

I have some code like this that I use to do a BULK INSERT of a data file into a table, where the data file and table name are variables:

DECLARE @sql AS NVAR         


        

Answer 1

Sorry to dig up an old question but in case someone stumbles onto this thread and wants a quicker solution.

Bulk inserting a unknown width file with \n row terminators into a temp table that is created outside of the EXEC statement.

DECLARE     @SQL VARCHAR(8000)

IF OBJECT_ID('TempDB..#BulkInsert') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
    DROP TABLE #BulkInsert
END

CREATE TABLE #BulkInsert
(
    Line    VARCHAR(MAX)
)

SET @SQL = 'BULK INSERT #BulkInser FROM ''##FILEPATH##'' WITH (ROWTERMINATOR = ''\n'')'
EXEC (@SQL)

SELECT * FROM #BulkInsert

Further support that dynamic SQL within an EXEC statement has access to temp tables outside of the EXEC statement. http://sqlfiddle.com/#!3/d41d8/19343

DECLARE     @SQL VARCHAR(8000)

IF OBJECT_ID('TempDB..#BulkInsert') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
    DROP TABLE #BulkInsert
END

CREATE TABLE #BulkInsert
(
    Line    VARCHAR(MAX)
)
INSERT INTO #BulkInsert
(
    Line
)
SELECT 1
UNION SELECT 2
UNION SELECT 3

SET @SQL = 'SELECT * FROM #BulkInsert'
EXEC (@SQL)

Further support, written for MSSQL2000 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa175921(v=sql.80).aspx

Example at the bottom of the link

DECLARE @cmd VARCHAR(1000), @ExecError INT
CREATE TABLE #ErrFile (ExecError INT)
SET @cmd = 'EXEC GetTableCount ' + 
'''pubs.dbo.authors''' + 
'INSERT #ErrFile VALUES(@@ERROR)'
EXEC(@cmd)
SET @ExecError = (SELECT * FROM #ErrFile)
SELECT @ExecError AS '@@ERROR'