Is it possible to execute a text file from SQL query?

Question

I have a number of generated .sql files that I want to run in succession. I\'d like to run them from a SQL statement in a query (i.e. Query Analyzer/Server Management Studi

Answer 1

This is what I use. Works well and is simple to reuse. It can be changed to read all files in the directory, but this way I get to control which ones to execute.

/*  
execute a list of .sql files against the server and DB specified  
*/  
SET NOCOUNT ON  

SET XACT_ABORT ON  
BEGIN TRAN  

DECLARE @DBServerName   VARCHAR(100) = 'servername'  
DECLARE @DBName VARCHAR(100) = 'db name'  
DECLARE @FilePath   VARCHAR(200) = 'path to scrips\'  
/*

create a holder for all filenames to be executed  

*/  
DECLARE @FileList TABLE (Files NVARCHAR(MAX))  

INSERT INTO @FileList VALUES ('script 1.sql')  
INSERT INTO @FileList VALUES ('script 2.sql')  
INSERT INTO @FileList VALUES ('script X.sql')  

WHILE (SELECT COUNT(Files) FROM @FileList) > 0  
BEGIN  
   /*  
   execute each file one at a time  
   */  
   DECLARE @FileName NVARCHAR(MAX) = (SELECT TOP(1) Files FROM @FileList)  
   DECLARE @command  VARCHAR(500)  = 'sqlcmd -S ' + @DBServerName + ' -d  ' + @DBName + ' -i "' + @FilePath + @Filename +'"'  
   EXEC xp_cmdshell  @command   

   PRINT 'EXECUTED: ' + @FileName     
   DELETE FROM @FileList WHERE Files = @FileName  
END  
COMMIT TRAN