The bcp utility is used to export or import data from or SAP / Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise databases to a data file in a user-specified format.
From the documentation: Import and Export Data with bcp Transact-SQL commands cannot transfer data in bulk. For this reason, use bcp for any large transfers.
Uses for bcp include:
Importing data that was previously associated with another program, such as the records from another database management system. This is the most common use for bcp.
Moving tables between Adaptive Servers or between Adaptive Server and other data sources that can produce an operating-system file.
Copying out data from a view.
Note: You cannot use bcp to copy in data to a view.
- Transferring data for use with other programs, for example, with a spreadsheet program. The general steps to transfer data are:
Adaptive Server can accept data in any character or binary format, as long as the data file describes either the length of the fields or the terminators, the characters that separate columns.
