>I would appreciate a little help from someone who might have gone through this process already. I am new to SQL Server not new to the SQL Language. I am trying to develop a DTS Package that will import an ASCII text file from a Lan, run a foxpro process on this data to parse the file into a free table on the SQL Server for access by a large number of users. I understand the concept of what must be done I just don't understand how the whole thing hooks together. If I am not being specific enough I will be more than happy to go into more detail. I was just hoping that someone out there might have done this already and wouldn't mind sharing.
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>Thank you and I appreciate any help that can be afforded.
> bill k
Bill,
Hope I can help a little. I have been using the Task Manager in SQL 6.5 to run VFP programs and move data into SQL Server. I am now in the process of converting some of the 6.5 tasks into DTS packages.

You're probably going to have to divide the operation into two parts. Part 1 will execute the VFP program and get the data ready for SQL Server and Part 2 will import the data into SQL Server. Both can be accomplished using DTS.

Start your VFP program from DTS using the xp_cmdshell extended stored procedure (there are tricky permission required to do this, check the online manual). Next, when the VFP app has prepped the data, have VFP send an update to a SQL Server table containing an Update Trigger that calls the next DTS package. This package then uploads the VFP data to SQL Server.

There may be a better way to do this in one DTS package, but I'm only a couple of weeks into DTS and am still at the bottom of the learning curve. Good Luck!