In SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and later, you can use bcp to import native and character format data from SQL Server 2000 (8.x), SQL Server 2005 (9.x), SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x), SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x), or SQL Server 2012 (11.x) by using the -V switch. The -V switch causes SQL Server to use data types from the specified earlier version of SQL Server, and the data file format are the same as the format in that earlier version.
To specify an earlier SQL Server version for a data file, use the -V switch with one of the following qualifiers:
SQL Server version
Qualifier
SQL Server 2000 (8.x)
-V80
SQL Server 2005 (9.x)
-V90
SQL Server 2008 (10.0.x)
-V100
SQL Server 2012 (11.x)
-V 110
Interpretation of Data Types
SQL Server 2005 (9.x) and later versions have support for some new types. When you want to import a new data type into an earlier SQL Server version, the data type must be stored in a format that readable by the older bcp clients. The following table summarizes how the new data types are converted for compatibility with the earlier versions of SQL Server.
New data types in SQL Server 2005
Compatible data types in version 6x
Compatible data types in version 70
Compatible data types in version 80
bigint
decimal
decimal
*
sql_variant
text
nvarchar(4000)
*
varchar(max)
text
text
text
nvarchar(max)
ntext
ntext
ntext
varbinary(max)
image
image
image
XML
ntext
ntext
ntext
UDT**
image
image
image
*This type is natively supported.
**UDT indicates a user defined type.
Exporting using -V 80
When you bulk export data by using the -V80 switch, nvarchar(max), varchar(max), varbinary(max), XML, and UDT data in native mode are stored with a 4-byte prefix, like text, image, and ntext data, rather than with an 8-byte prefix, which is the default for SQL Server 2005 (9.x) and later versions.
Copying Date Values
bcp uses the ODBC bulk copy API. Therefore, to import date values into SQL Server, bcp uses the ODBC date format (yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss[.f...]).
The bcp command exports character format data files using the ODBC default format for datetime and smalldatetime values. For example, a datetime column containing the date 12 Aug 1998 is bulk copied to a data file as the character string 1998-08-12 00:00:00.000.
Important
When importing data into a smalldatetime field using bcp, be sure the value for seconds is 00.000; otherwise the operation will fail. The smalldatetime data type only holds values to the nearest minute. BULK INSERT and INSERT ... SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET(BULK...) will not fail in this instance but will truncate the seconds value.
Related Tasks
To use data formats for bulk import or bulk export
Character format uses character data format for all columns. This is useful working with other programs or copying to an instance from another database vendor.
Use Unicode native format for bulk transfer of data between instances of SQL Server, which eliminates conversion of data types to and from character format.
In SQL Server import or export, native format maintains the native data types of a database for high-speed data transfer of data between SQL Server tables.
SQL Server accepts data in character or native binary format. Use character format between SQL Server and other apps and native between instances of SQL Server.
When you bulk import or export a SQL Server table, a format file allows writing data files with little editing or reading data files from other programs.
Use bcp to export data from anywhere in a SQL Server database that SELECT works. Bulk export data from a table or from a query and bulk import from a file.
Learn how to invoke REST endpoints in Azure SQL Database and manipulate data using Azure Functions. Also, explore various tools and options for importing and exporting data to and from Azure SQL Database.
