I'm trying to create a fixed length text file from a database table. I'm running a bcp command from the command line using a format file. The fixed length text file is getting created, but it's inserting extra spaces between the columns. What I need is first name in columns 1-12, middle name in columns 13-24. It appears that what I'm getting is first name in columns 1-12, four spaces and middle name in columns 17-28. How do I eliminate the spaces (maybe it's a tab?) between the columns?

Have you verified the length of the fields in your table? Also, how does the format file look like?For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert. - Becker's Law My blog

If there are trailing spaces on the columns , then rather use a query to trim the columns and dump it using bcp e.g !! bcp "select top 100 ltrim(rtrim(Column1)), ltrim(rtrim(column2)) from dbname.dbo.tablename" queryout "C:\XXX\XXX.txt" -c -T SridharSridhar

I have verified the field lengths. 9.0 2 1 SQLCHAR 0 12 "" 1 First_Name SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS 2 SQLCHAR 0 12 "\r\n" 2 Middle_name SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS