Sql Csv Insert Firebird

Introduction: Importing Data into Firebird

Are you struggling to import data from a CSV file into your Firebird database? Maybe you have encountered tools that expect your CSV to be perfectly formatted, including every detail your target table requires. This situation can be frustrating, especially when you know that your data cannot be imported with a straightforward method.

In this blog post, we’ll explore an effective way to generate INSERT SQL statements from your CSV files. We’ll specifically address common issues such as needing to reference additional tables for lookup values and using stored procedures for unique identifiers.

Problem Overview

When importing data into a Firebird database, the common tools often have limitations. They may not support:

  • Custom SQL in insert statements
  • The requirement to look up information from other tables (like city IDs)
  • The use of stored procedures to generate unique GUIDs

Needs Addressed:

  • You need to generate SQL that includes LOOKUP for values (e.g., city IDs).
  • You wish to implement a stored procedure to create GUIDs during the insert operation.

To provide a practical solution, let’s break down how to achieve this using a tool you likely have access to: Microsoft Excel.

Solution: Using Excel to Create SQL Statements

Step 1: Import Your CSV File

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the Data tab.
  2. Choose Get Data and select the CSV file you want to import.
  3. Load the data into an Excel worksheet, where each column will represent a data field.

Step 2: Create the SQL Insert Statement

You can use Excel formulas to construct your SQL INSERT statement. For example, if your CSV has three columns corresponding to ID, NAME, and CITY_NAME, you would use string concatenation to formulate your INSERT command.

Here’s an example formula to achieve this:

="INSERT INTO PERSON (ID, NAME, CITY_ID) VALUES((SELECT NEW_GUID FROM CREATE_GUID), '" & A1 & "', (SELECT CITY_ID FROM CITY WHERE NAME = '" & C1 & "'))"

Step 3: Drag the Formula Down

  1. Place the above formula in a new column (e.g., Column D) next to your existing data in Column A (ID), B (NAME), and C (CITY_NAME).
  2. Click on the bottom right corner of the cell with your formula and drag it down to fill in the formula for all rows of your data.

Step 4: Copy and Paste the SQL Into a Text File

After generating the SQL statements, do the following:

  1. Select the entire column with your SQL statements.
  2. Copy it (Ctrl + C).
  3. Open a text editor (like Notepad) and paste (Ctrl + V) the statements.
  4. Save the file with a .sql extension.

Step 5: Execute the SQL File

Finally, you can run the SQL commands against your Firebird database using your preferred method (like isql command-line tool).

Conclusion

While it may seem crude to use Excel for generating SQL statements, it can be a “quick and dirty” method to efficiently get your data inserted into a Firebird database when tools fall short. You can manage complex insertions with subselects and utilize stored procedures without spending hours trying to configure standard data import tools.

Now you’re equipped with a straightforward approach to generating SQL statements from CSV files. Happy coding!