How can I generate an INSERT script for an existing SQL Server table that includes all stored rows?

Question

I'm looking for a way to generate a "Create and insert all rows" script with SQL Management Studio 2008 R2.

I know that I can create a "create table" script.

I can also create an "insert in" script, but that will only generate a single row with placeholders.

Is there a way to generate an insert script that contains all currently stored rows?

Possible duplicate of [What is the best way to auto-generate INSERT statements for a SQL Server table?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/982568/what-is-the-best-way-to-auto-generate-insert-statements-for-a-sql-server-table) — Moslem Ben Dhaou, Oct 25 '17 at 11:08

score 417 · Accepted Answer · edited Oct 15 '14 at 20:23

417

Yes, but you'll need to run it at the database level.

Right-click the database in SSMS, select "Tasks", "Generate Scripts...". As you work through, you'll get to a "Scripting Options" section. Click on "Advanced", and in the list that pops up, where it says "Types of data to script", you've got the option to select Data and/or Schema.

Screen shot of Advanced Scripting Options

edited Oct 15 '14 at 20:23

jtherkel

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answered Feb 21 '11 at 11:30

Thomas Rushton

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Answered above. Sorry about the too-early post. Not sure what went wrong! – Thomas Rushton Feb 21 '11 at 11:33
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Nice! I used to rely on the Tools Pack addin, as gbn suggested, to this kind of task. Glad to know I don't need it anymore. – ivanmp Mar 09 '12 at 17:59
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It's a hidden option IMHO. Should be more apparent... :) – Leniel Maccaferri Jun 08 '12 at 08:21
Thank you, Thomas. It is perfect! – Kate Mar 29 '18 at 09:28

score 33 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 22 '16 at 07:26

This script generates insert statements of your existing data. This is a stored procedure which you need to run once and then it is tailor made for you.

I tried to find this kind of stuff for a while but wasn't satisfied with the results, so I wrote this stored procedure.

Example:

Exec [dbo].[INS]  'Dbo.test where 1=1'

(1) Here dbo is schema and test is tablename and 1=1 is condition.

Exec [dbo].[INS]  'Dbo.test where name =''neeraj''' * for string

(2) Here dbo is schema and test is tablename and name='neeraj' is condition.

Here is the stored procedure

/*
Authore : neeraj prasad sharma (please dont remove this :))
Example (1) Exec [dbo].[INS]  'Dbo.test where 1=1'
        (2) Exec [dbo].[INS]  'Dbo.test where name =''neeraj''' * for string

here Dbo is schema and test is tablename and 1=1 is condition

*/


CREATE procedure  [dbo].[INS]                              
(                                                          
   @Query  Varchar(MAX)                                                          
)                              

AS                              

SET nocount ON                  

DECLARE @WithStrINdex as INT                            
DECLARE @WhereStrINdex as INT                            
DECLARE @INDExtouse as INT                            

DECLARE @SchemaAndTAble VArchar(270)                            
DECLARE @Schema_name  varchar(30)                            
DECLARE @Table_name  varchar(240)                            
DECLARE @Condition  Varchar(MAX)                             

SET @WithStrINdex=0                            

SELECT @WithStrINdex=CHARINDEX('With',@Query )                            
, @WhereStrINdex=CHARINDEX('WHERE', @Query)                            

IF(@WithStrINdex!=0)                            
SELECT @INDExtouse=@WithStrINdex                            
ELSE                            
SELECT @INDExtouse=@WhereStrINdex                            

SELECT @SchemaAndTAble=Left (@Query,@INDExtouse-1)                                                     
SELECT @SchemaAndTAble=Ltrim (Rtrim( @SchemaAndTAble))                            

SELECT @Schema_name= Left (@SchemaAndTAble, CharIndex('.',@SchemaAndTAble )-1)                            
,      @Table_name = SUBSTRING(  @SchemaAndTAble , CharIndex('.',@SchemaAndTAble )+1,LEN(@SchemaAndTAble) )                            

,      @CONDITION=SUBSTRING(@Query,@WhereStrINdex+6,LEN(@Query))--27+6                            


DECLARE @COLUMNS  table (Row_number SmallINT , Column_Name VArchar(Max) )                              
DECLARE @CONDITIONS as varchar(MAX)                              
DECLARE @Total_Rows as SmallINT                              
DECLARE @Counter as SmallINT              

DECLARE @ComaCol as varchar(max)            
SELECT @ComaCol=''                   

SET @Counter=1                              
SET @CONDITIONS=''                              

INSERT INTO @COLUMNS                              
SELECT Row_number()Over (Order by ORDINAL_POSITION ) [Count], Column_Name 
FROM INformation_schema.columns 
WHERE Table_schema=@Schema_name AND table_name=@Table_name         


SELECT @Total_Rows= Count(1) 
FROM @COLUMNS                              

SELECT @Table_name= '['+@Table_name+']'                      

SELECT @Schema_name='['+@Schema_name+']'                      

While (@Counter<=@Total_Rows )                              
begin                               
--PRINT @Counter                              

SELECT @ComaCol= @ComaCol+'['+Column_Name+'],'            
FROM @COLUMNS                              
WHERE [Row_number]=@Counter                          

SELECT @CONDITIONS=@CONDITIONS+ ' + Case When ['+Column_Name+'] is null then ''Null'' Else '''''''' + Replace( Convert(varchar(Max),['+Column_Name+']  ) ,'''''''',''''  ) +'''''''' end+'+''','''                                                     
FROM @COLUMNS                              
WHERE [Row_number]=@Counter                              

SET @Counter=@Counter+1                              

End                              

SELECT @CONDITIONS=Right(@CONDITIONS,LEN(@CONDITIONS)-2)                              

SELECT @CONDITIONS=LEFT(@CONDITIONS,LEN(@CONDITIONS)-4)              
SELECT @ComaCol= substring (@ComaCol,0,  len(@ComaCol) )                            

SELECT @CONDITIONS= '''INSERT INTO '+@Schema_name+'.'+@Table_name+ '('+@ComaCol+')' +' Values( '+'''' + '+'+@CONDITIONS                              

SELECT @CONDITIONS=@CONDITIONS+'+'+ ''')'''                              

SELECT @CONDITIONS= 'Select  '+@CONDITIONS +'FRom  ' +@Schema_name+'.'+@Table_name+' With(NOLOCK) ' + ' Where '+@Condition                              
print(@CONDITIONS)                              
Exec(@CONDITIONS)

That is a very useful script. Is there an easy way to change the Datetime format, so it exports dates in a standard format such as "2014-03-31 23:55:41" ? At present I am getting datetimes like "Feb 10 2010 2:44PM". — ChrisGuest, Apr 09 '14 at 00:54
It looks like you must leave off the SELECT FROM portion and also strip square braces in order for the SPROC to work. — Corgalore, Jan 09 '17 at 19:53
A Compute column check is not there. Error is coming if your table have any compute column — vicky, Feb 07 '17 at 08:36
great answer thank you Neeraj, Small mistakes for me "INformation_schema" should be "INFORMATION_SCHEMA" and "DECLARE Condition Varchar(MAX) " should be "DECLARE CONDITION Varchar(MAX)" — canbax, Dec 07 '18 at 08:29

score 17 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 16 '15 at 13:48

17

Yes, use the commercial but inexpensive SSMS Tools Pack addin which has a nifty "Generate Insert statements from resultsets, tables or database" feature

edited Oct 16 '15 at 13:48

pwdst

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answered Feb 21 '11 at 11:33

gbn

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No longer free for 2012 version. – CJM Oct 29 '12 at 21:36

score 6 · Answer 4 · edited May 19 '20 at 11:21

Just to share, I've developed my own script to do it. Feel free to use it. It generates "SELECT" statements that you can then run on the tables to generate the "INSERT" statements.

select distinct 'SELECT ''INSERT INTO ' + schema_name(ta.schema_id) + '.' + so.name + ' (' + substring(o.list, 1, len(o.list)-1) + ') VALUES ('
+ substring(val.list, 1, len(val.list)-1) + ');''  FROM ' + schema_name(ta.schema_id) + '.' + so.name + ';'
from    sys.objects so
join sys.tables ta on ta.object_id=so.object_id
cross apply
(SELECT '  ' +column_name + ', '
 from information_schema.columns c
 join syscolumns co on co.name=c.COLUMN_NAME and object_name(co.id)=so.name and OBJECT_NAME(co.id)=c.TABLE_NAME and co.id=so.object_id and c.TABLE_SCHEMA=SCHEMA_NAME(so.schema_id)
 where table_name = so.name
 order by ordinal_position
FOR XML PATH('')) o (list)
cross apply
(SELECT '''+' +case
         when data_type = 'uniqueidentifier' THEN 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '])+'''''''' END '
         WHEN data_type = 'timestamp' then '''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),CONVERT(BINARY(8),[' + COLUMN_NAME + ']),1)+'''''''''
         WHEN data_type = 'nvarchar' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+REPLACE([' + COLUMN_NAME + '],'''''''','''''''''''')+'''''''' END'
         WHEN data_type = 'varchar' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+REPLACE([' + COLUMN_NAME + '],'''''''','''''''''''')+'''''''' END'
         WHEN data_type = 'char' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+REPLACE([' + COLUMN_NAME + '],'''''''','''''''''''')+'''''''' END'
         WHEN data_type = 'nchar' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+REPLACE([' + COLUMN_NAME + '],'''''''','''''''''''')+'''''''' END'
         when DATA_TYPE='datetime' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '],121)+'''''''' END '
         when DATA_TYPE='datetime2' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '],121)+'''''''' END '
         when DATA_TYPE='geography' and column_name<>'Shape' then 'ST_GeomFromText(''POINT('+column_name+'.Lat '+column_name+'.Long)'') '
         when DATA_TYPE='geography' and column_name='Shape' then '''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '])+'''''''''
         when DATA_TYPE='bit' then '''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '])+'''''''''
         when DATA_TYPE='xml' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+REPLACE(CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + ']),'''''''','''''''''''')+'''''''' END '
         WHEN DATA_TYPE='image' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),CONVERT(VARBINARY(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + ']),1)+'''''''' END '
         WHEN DATA_TYPE='varbinary' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '],1)+'''''''' END '
         WHEN DATA_TYPE='binary' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '],1)+'''''''' END '
         when DATA_TYPE='time' then 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE ''''''''+CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),[' + COLUMN_NAME + '])+'''''''' END '
         ELSE 'CASE WHEN [' + column_name+'] IS NULL THEN ''NULL'' ELSE CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX),['+column_name+']) END' end
   + '+'', '
 from information_schema.columns c
 join syscolumns co on co.name=c.COLUMN_NAME and object_name(co.id)=so.name and OBJECT_NAME(co.id)=c.TABLE_NAME and co.id=so.object_id and c.TABLE_SCHEMA=SCHEMA_NAME(so.schema_id)
 where table_name = so.name
 order by ordinal_position
FOR XML PATH('')) val (list)
where   so.type = 'U'

How can I generate an INSERT script for an existing SQL Server table that includes all stored rows?

4 Answers4

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