Using Native and Character Format bcp

The bcp utility provides two options that create files with frequently used default formats.

• The /n option uses native (database) datatypes. Storing information in native file format data is useful when information is to be copied from one SQL Server into another SQL Server. The use of the native format saves time, preventing unnecessary conversion of datatypes into and out of character format.
• The /c option uses the character (char) format for all columns, providing tabs between fields in a row and a new line at the end of each row. Storing information in character file format is useful when the data is used with another program such as a spreadsheet, or when the data needs to be copied into SQL Server from another database.

If you use the /n or /c option, bcp does not query you for information on a column-by-column basis. Otherwise, bcp operates interactively and queries for further information needed to specify the data format in the output file.

For more information, choose one of the following topics:

Native Format bcp

Character Format bcp