Comments on: SQL SERVER – sqlcmd vs osql – Basic Comparison

By: SQL SERVER – Weekly Series – Memory Lane – #010 « SQL Server Journey with SQL Authority

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:31:35 +0000

[...] sqlcmd vs osql – Basic Comparison [...]

By: Albert

Albert — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:43:07 +0000

I’ve recently changed over from running a set of scripts using osql to sqlcmd. This has increased the time taken to run the scripts significantly: With osql it took around 30 minutes and with sqlcmd around 2 hours. Any idea why? There were no other significant changes on the server.

By: RickW

RickW — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:30:27 +0000

SQLCMD is just too slow for large data files. Just too slow. Osql blazes. What gives?

By: Jimmy John

Jimmy John — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:03:31 +0000

i have the exact same problem…. did you ever find the solution to this issue?

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:28:44 +0000

Is there a way to do something similar to the following:

–=========================
declare @servername varchar(50)

select top 1 @servername = servername from myServers

:setvar ServerName @servername
:CONNECT $(ServerName)
–========================

Obviously the above doesn’t work. I want to connect to another server without explicitly giving the server name.

Thanks

By: Kapil Chauhan

Kapil Chauhan — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:28:54 +0000

Hi, I have created a stored procedure in sql server 2005 to send email using send_db_mail function of sql procedure. I am calling this procedure in a batch file using sqlcmd of sql server 2005. When i run or schedule that batch file, it’s run perfectly and send email to reception but the pop up email queued does not close automatically. can someone help me to close that pop up automatically using any command in batch file. Thanks in advance.

By: srinath

srinath — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:44:37 +0000

Hi how do I send an output of sql from sqlcmd as an email?Please help

By: aaaa

aaaa — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:28:20 +0000

how to automate test-database (sql server 2008) backup via command prompt?

By: aaaa

aaaa — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:32:04 +0000

how to aumate database(test) sql server 2008 backup via command prompt??

By: BASAVA

BASAVA — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:00:29 +0000

can we schedule a job from commad prompt while usong osql command.

please tell me if any idea.

Regards,
BASAVA

By: Ron Warshawsky

Ron Warshawsky — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:14:11 +0000

There is a free tool “SQLS*Plus” which is an SQL*Plus for SQL Server. Works with SQL Server 2000/2005 and 2008

Very flexible with data formatting (set lines size, pagesize, etc), variables (&, &&), etc – light years better than isql, osql
or sqlcmd

I found it at http://www.memfix.com

By: Purnima

Purnima — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:59:21 +0000

HI !

After I installed MS SQL server management studio express (version 2005) I can’t execute sqlcmd.exe in command prompt.

I should be able to access sqlc,d.exe in folder C:/Program%20Files/Microsoft%20SQL%20Server/90/Tools/Binn/ and then add it to PATH variable, but the file sqlcmd.exe is not located there.

Moreover I installed MS SQL server mgmt studio express on my desktop and I want to connect from my desktop.

Could you please help me on that? Is it the operating system that is not supported I use MS Windows XP Home edition with Service Pack 2 ?

Thanks in advance for your help

Purnima

By: mpv

mpv — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:59:06 +0000

I am using a batch file written by someone else. It uses osql with a -n parameter, but I don’t see a comparable parameter in sqlcmd. Do I need this? If so, what does it do for me?

The help text says “Removes numbering and the prompt symbol (>) from input lines.” Can you explain what this actually means?

Thanks… mpv

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:50:43 +0000

Hello Pinal,
I Have a large file with calls to a Stored Procedure(about 3.5GB). sqlcmd sometimes says scripting error I think its a timeout error but not sure, in the other hand osql execute it without any problem, but its taking too much time to get done.

Is there a way or good practices to do it faster?

By: Faisal Iqbal

Faisal Iqbal — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:09:24 +0000

Pinal,

Can we use sqlcmd on a system where SQL Server is not installed. I have to execute script file from my machine to my database server.

–Faisal Iqbal

By: pramod

pramod — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:21:15 +0000

please elaborate the topic to cover much detail……..

By: Edward Manning

Edward Manning — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:38:54 +0000

Thanks Pinal,

Was trying to write a bat file to give to the DBAs to execute on our production boxes and the information given here was exactly what I needed.

Cheers
Ed

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:49:16 +0000

I have SQL Server 2005 Management Studio on one of my PCs, but on a client’s computer who will not allow me to install SQl Server on it or any app that requires Admin priviledges, I need to submit TSQL commands to alter SQL 2005 Database tables remotely. Will SQLCMD or another utility allow me to do that?

By: pinaldave

pinaldave — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:15:04 +0000

@steve,

SQLCMD does not work with SQL Server 2000.

OSQL works with SQL Server 2000.

Kind Regards,
Pinal

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:38:34 +0000

If your targets are a mixed envirionment of 2005 and 2000, will sqlcmd work on the 2000 environment servers? This is an important function that you do not mention.

By: Ana

Ana — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:32:25 +0000

Hi! I not sure if I understood this article. I made the !!dir example with osql and every happens in the same way than sqlcmd.

Then… what’s the difference??

Thanks

By: Jerry Hung

Jerry Hung — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:12:09 +0000

One can set variable in SQLCMD mode too, if running T-SQL script in SQLCMD mode

:SETVAR ServerName “Server”
:SETVAR ManagementDatabase “MDW”
GO
:CONNECT $(ServerName)
GO

………….usual T-SQL code………….

By: SQL SERVER - Interesting Observation - Using sqlcmd From SSMS Query Editor Journey to SQL Authority with Pinal Dave

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:17:10 +0000

[...] 6, 2009 by pinaldave A day before I wrote article SQL SERVER – sqlcmd vs osql – Basic Comparison. Today while I was displaying how sqlcmd can be used instead of osql to one of my companies team [...]