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xp_cmdshell questions

Author

Topic

johnsql
Posting Yak Master

161 Posts

Posted - 2008-02-12 : 15:18:49

Buddies,
I just copy an example scripts from BOL for xp_cmdshell, but the script fails with output as NULL and contents of the external files just contains word "time". What is wrong with that BOL example.

DECLARE @cmd sysname, @var sysname
SET @var = 'dir /p'
SET @cmd = 'echo ' + @var + ' > C:\dir_out.txt'
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @cmd

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2008-02-12 : 15:29:47

The output is correct as NULL. This is not a failure. The external file should contain "dir /p" in it.

I tested the code on a SQL Server 2000 box and it worked as I have described.

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

johnsql
Posting Yak Master

161 Posts

Posted - 2008-02-12 : 16:06:56

quote:
Originally posted by tkizer

The output is correct as NULL. This is not a failure. The external file should contain "dir /p" in it.

I tested the code on a SQL Server 2000 box and it worked as I have described.

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

Thanks for your reply.
However, the BOL online says "This example writes the contents of the current directory to a file named dir_out.txt in the current server directory." (topic: BOL > xp_cmdshell).

How can the writing happens to my external file?

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2008-02-12 : 16:13:56

Their example does not do what they said, so it has a bug in it. They are only echo'ing the command to a file.

Use this instead (removed the echo):
DECLARE @cmd sysname, @var sysname
SET @var = 'dir /p'
SET @cmd = @var + ' > C:\dir_out.txt'
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @cmd

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/

SwePeso
Patron Saint of Lost Yaks

30421 Posts

Posted - 2008-02-12 : 17:31:57

How do the xp_cmdshell deal with "/p" option?
Doesn't the DIR command wait for a keypress?

Oh, I see now. The output to a file overrides the /p option.

E 12°55'05.25"
N 56°04'39.16"

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