Hi Sergey,

Thanks and xp_fileexist is exactly what we want, but um, it's knid of the same as xp_cmdshell. In Query analyzer xp_fileexist returns a result set such as:

File Exists File is a Directory Parent Directory Exists 
----------- ------------------- ----------------------- 
1           0                   1

(1 row(s) affected)

However maybe I'm dense or something but I don't see the mechanism that allows you to access this result set after it's returned if xp_fileexist is executed in a SP.

What am I missing here??

Bill

>See Re: Code to do an ADIR() Message #687244.
>
>>We are trying to use SQL Server xp_cmdshell SP to retireve directory information using a 'DIR xxx.*' type command. This returns a result set in Query Analyzer with an nvarchar(255) column named 'output'. However, we have not been able to find documentation on how to run the command in a SP and force the result set into, say, a temporary table in order to manipulate the data. How would this be done?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Bill