DTS -- unpredictable order of records -- why?

Using bcp to load data from a flat file into a database table will load the records in the exact same order as they are in the flat file; whereas, a DTS package may not load the records into the table in the exact same order as they are in the flat file. Why? ... the table has no keys or indexes ... the DTS package was created with MS SQL 2000 and is now being used in MS SQL 2005 ...as brett will tell you...

the order of the data in the database has no meaning.|||the order of the data in the database has no meaning.I agree as well. If you need a certain order in your data, you'll have to use ORDER BY in your SELECT. That's the only way to guarantee an ordering of the records.|||DTS is more sophisticated than bcp. It's likely that DTS is using multiple threads, which would lead to rows being sent non-sequentially.|||DTS is more sophisticated than bcp. It's likely that DTS is using multiple threads, which would lead to rows being sent non-sequentially.

Stop it, you're killing me

>> DTS is more sophisticated...

DTS is a piece of garbage|||Come now Brett. More sophisticated does not mean better. Master Peice Theater is more sophisticated than Monday Night Football, but on Mondays I am watching ESPN and not PBS.|||DTS is more COMPLICATED than SQL.

And you can find a lot of usefull things by picking through garbage, so don't dismiss DTS just because of that.|||I use it to suck up spreadsheets once in a while.|||I prefer bcp over DTS just for simplicity's sake. However lots of people use DTS and find it useful.|||For what DTS allows...the ability to allow "developers" the ability to convert a simpl bulk load process into basically a cursor based process, DTS is a piece of garbage...it allows for VERY ineffecient coding

The games on Monday night Suck...go watch PBS

Tonight's PBS has got a great show on Vikings, followed by a Frontline about Iraq

And what does it say about DTS when the mothe$hip bails on DTS?|||ms didn't bail on dts, they just renamed it ssis.|||ms didn't bail on dts, they just renamed it ssis.

That's not true, it's a complete rewrite...can you migrate a dts package to 2k5?

As pure VB you can, otherwise, no, you can't|||DTS is a piece of garbage...it allows for VERY ineffecient codingRead the forum threads, Brett. By that definition SQL is a piece of garbage!|||or any other programming language for that matter. all technologies can and will be misused. that doesn't mean the technology itself is useless.|||DTS is a wizard, like Access it leads you down a path not really requiring any background...

Do what you will

My advice is to stay as far away from DTS as possible

But that's my opinion

MOO|||Wow! I had no idea my question would generate so much DTS sentiment.

Getting back to the business issue ...

Long term ... I do not need to rely on whatever DTS or BCP does. I need to specify something like a row number in the input file.

Short term ... I switched from DTS to BCP.

Thanks for everyones input. :beer:|||bcp the data into a table that has an identity column then

What's the row number for?