• Article

Flat File Connection Manager Editor (General Page)

Use the General page of the Flat File Connection Manager Editor dialog box to select a file and data format. A flat file connection enables a package to connect to a text file.

To learn more about the Flat File connection manager, see Flat File Connection Manager.

Options

  • Connection manager name
    Provide a unique name for the flat file connection in the workflow. The name provided will be displayed within SSIS Designer.

  • Description
    Describe the connection. As a best practice, describe the connection in terms of its purpose, to make packages self-documenting and easier to maintain.

  • File name
    Type the path and file name to use in the flat file connection.

  • Browse
    Locate the file name to use in the flat file connection.

  • Locale
    Specify the locale to provide language-specific information for ordering and for date and time formats.

  • Unicode
    Indicate whether to use Unicode. If you use Unicode, you cannot specify a code page.

  • Code page
    Specify the code page for non-Unicode text.

  • Format
    Indicate whether the file uses delimited, fixed width, or ragged right formatting.

    Value

    Description

    Delimited

    Columns are separated by delimiters, specified on the Columns page.

    Fixed width

    Columns have a fixed width.

    Ragged right

    Ragged right files are files in which every column has a fixed width, except for the last column. It is delimited by the row delimiter.

  • Text qualifier
    Specify the text qualifier to use. For example, you can specify that text fields are enclosed in quotation marks.

    Note

    After you select a text qualifier, you cannot re-select the None option. Type None to de-select the text qualifier.

  • Header row delimiter
    Select from the list of delimiters for header rows, or enter the delimiter text.

    Value

    Description

    {CR}{LF}

    The header row is delimited by a carriage return-line feed combination.

    {CR}

    The header row is delimited by a carriage return.

    {LF}

    The header row is delimited by a line feed.

    Semicolon {;}

    The header row is delimited by a semicolon.

    Colon {:}

    The header row is delimited by a colon.

    Comma {,}

    The header row is delimited by a comma.

    Tab {t}

    The header row is delimited by a tab.

    Vertical bar {|}

    The header row is delimited by a vertical bar.

  • Header rows to skip
    Specify the number of header rows or initial data rows to skip, if any.

  • Column names in the first data row
    Indicate whether to expect or provide column names in the first data row.