Have you ever encountered a situation where you needed to import data from an Access database into a SQL Server database, but the table definitions in Access could change at any time? This can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can be accomplished efficiently.

In this article, we will discuss a solution that involves using a script task in Visual Studio to dynamically create and load Access tables into corresponding tables in a SQL Server database. The main tool we will be using is the DataReader object, specifically its GetSchemaTable method, which returns the metadata of a table.

Let’s break down the steps involved in this process:

Step 1: Create a Connection to the Access Source

The first step is to establish a connection to the Access database using the System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection class. This allows us to retrieve the data from the source table.

Step 2: Execute the Command to Populate the OleDbDataReader Object

Next, we execute a command to populate the OleDbDataReader object with the data from the source table. This can be done using the OleDbCommand class and the ExecuteReader method.

Step 3: Call the GetSchemaTable Method

Now, we call the GetSchemaTable method on the OleDbDataReader object to retrieve the metadata of the source table. This method returns a DataTable object that contains information about the columns in the table.

Step 4: Loop Through the DataTable and Retrieve Column Information

In this step, we loop through the DataTable object and retrieve the column names and data types. We use the metadata properties of each row in the DataTable to determine the corresponding SQL Server data type for each column.

Step 5: Create a Connection to the SQL Server Database

Once we have the column information, we establish a connection to the SQL Server database using the System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection class.

Step 6: Execute Commands to Create the SQL Server Table

Now, we execute commands to create the SQL Server table based on the column information we obtained earlier. We use the OleDbCommand class to execute the CREATE TABLE statement.

Step 7: Load the Source Data into the Target Table

After creating the SQL Server table, we load the data from the source table into the newly created target table. This can be done using the SqlBulkCopy class, which efficiently copies large amounts of data from one data source to another.

Step 8: Close the Objects

Finally, we close the connections and readers to release any resources that were used during the process.

Prior to writing the script task, it is important to know the names and data types of the columns used in the Access tables. This information can be obtained using the GetSchema method, which returns a DataTable containing the column information. By examining the DataType property of each column, we can determine the corresponding SQL Server data type.

By following these steps, you can dynamically create and load Access tables into SQL Server, even if the table definitions change frequently. This approach allows for flexibility and adaptability in your data import process.

For more information about the GetSchema command, you can refer to the MSDN documentation. Additionally, you can find more details about the GetSchemaTable command here.