How to use BCP to dump query (cdc function ) retrieved data to text file

Question

Im trying to use BCP to dump data from CDC function into a .dat file. Im using the following query (which works in Server 2008 R2):

USE LEESWIJZER

DECLARE @begin_time datetime
, @end_time datetime
, @from_lsn binary(10)
, @to_lsn binary(10)

SET @end_time = '2013-07-05 12:00:00.000';    

SELECT @to_lsn = sys.fn_cdc_map_time_to_lsn('largest less than or equal',  @end_time);
SELECT @from_lsn = sys.fn_cdc_get_min_lsn('dbo_LWR_CONTRIBUTIES')

SELECT sys.fn_cdc_map_lsn_to_time(__$start_lsn) AS ChangeDTS
, *
FROM cdc.fn_cdc_get_net_changes_dbo_LWR_CONTRIBUTIES (@from_lsn, @to_LSN, 'all')

(edited for readability, used in BCP as single string)

my BCP string is:

BCP "Query above" queryout "C:\temp\LWRCONTRIBUTIES.dat" -w -t ";|" -r \n -T -S {server\\instance} -o "C:\temp\LWRCONTRIBUTIES.log"

As you can see I want a resulting .dat file in unicode, and a log file. I'm guessing the "ChangeDTS" column added to the function outcome is causing my problem. Error message reads: "[Microsoft][SQL Native Client]Host-file columns may be skipped only when copying into the Server".

It may be resolved using a format file, but since this code needs to run daily, likely more than once a day, and the tables are subject to change, I'm reluctant to constantly adjust my format files (there are 100's of tables needing the same procedure).

Furthermore, this is run on a clients database, who wont like me creating views in their database.

Anybody got any idea how I can create a text file (.dat) with a selected number of columns from a cdc function?

Answer 1

Found the answer, regardless of which version of bcp used, bcp cant handle declarations, it seems. If i edit those out, works like a charm. However, according to someone on a different forum, BCP should be to handle declarations of variables. So happy it works for me now, but still confused why it does now and didnt before.