How to manage giant fixed-width file in SSIS? - ssis

Question

I have a fixed width file that is about 1200 characters wide and has about 300+ columns. I'm looking for a way to create a fixed-width data source in SSIS without using the UI for the flat file connection manager. Is there a way to modify the column definitions without having to use the UI in SSIS? I can't find a file for the data connection anywhere in the project.
Am I doomed to manually add 300+ columns into the flat-file connection manager one by one?

Answer 1

Two options come to mind. The first is to Install BIDSHelper and use the Create Fixed Width Columns
The other, as #ElectricLlama mentioned is to use BIML. This too will require the installation of BIDS Helper but to convert a .biml file into a .dtsx Short Walkthrough
This should approximate creating a package with a flat file connection manager (with a single column) adding a data flow and inside that consume our flat file and wire it up to a Row count. This is approximate for what you want. Just fill in the XML in the Columns tag.
<Biml xmlns="http://schemas.varigence.com/biml.xsd">
<Connections>
<FlatFileConnection
Name="FF dchess"
FileFormat="FFF dchess"
FilePath="C:\ssisdata\SO\Input\dchess.txt"
/>
</Connections>
<FileFormats>
<FlatFileFormat
Name="FFF dchess"
CodePage="1252"
RowDelimiter="CRLF"
IsUnicode="false"
FlatFileType="RaggedRight"
>
<Columns>
<Column Name="MyColumn" Length="08" DataType="AnsiString" ColumnType="FixedWidth" CodePage="1252" />
</Columns>
</FlatFileFormat>
</FileFormats>
<Packages>
<Package Name="dchess" ConstraintMode="Linear" ProtectionLevel="DontSaveSensitive">
<Connections >
<Connection ConnectionName="FF dchess" />
</Connections>
<Variables>
<Variable Name="CurrentFileName" DataType="String">C:\ssisdata\so\Input\dchess.txt</Variable>
<Variable Name="RowCountInsert" DataType="Int32">0</Variable>
</Variables>
<Tasks>
<Dataflow Name="DFT Load file" >
<Transformations>
<FlatFileSource
Name="FF_SRC dchess"
ConnectionName="FF dchess"
RetainNulls="true">
</FlatFileSource>
<RowCount Name="CNT Source" VariableName="User.RowCountInsert"></RowCount>
</Transformations>
</Dataflow>
</Tasks>
</Package>
</Packages>
</Biml>
Generated package looks like
Feel free to pick your jaw up off the ground ;)