I'm trying to import a text file into a SQL 2000 database. But my challenge
is to make sure my customer doesn't import the same text file twice. The file
does not have any unique ID. I may be able to make an unique key combined by
2 or 3 of the fields in the file. But how should I check against this when
importing the file. I was hoping to use a DTS package ti import the file.

Hope someone understands what I'm after, and have some suggestions on what
to do.

Assuming you are able to make some uniqueness about the records by combining
columns this would work :-

Rather than loading the text file into it's final destination do this in
your DTS :-

Create Holding_Table
Insert Rows into Holding_Table
Remove any dupes from Holding_Table
INSERT Destination_Table SELECT * FROM Holding_Table WHERE UniqueID NOT
IN (Select UniqueID FROM Destination_Table)
Drop Holding_Table

Depending on the volume of data it may be quicker if you add an index to the
Holding_Table and rahter than using my NOT IN syntax try WHERE NOT EXISTS..

--
HTH. Ryan
"Ingar" <Ingar (AT) discussions (DOT) microsoft.com> wrote