"Colette" <Colette@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:8659D907-C83F-4FCC-855D-6B24C5F8C98F@microsoft.com...
> Allan,
>
> The number of columns is cut to 255. We're running SP4 on 2000. I've
> already completely combed through all the SP fixes and so far there's nothing
> for using the fixed except maybe trying BCP.
>
> When you created your's, did you go back into the Text file Properties and
> see if anything was missing or was everything there?
>
> Thank you so much for at least responding. I've asked this question on
> several newsgroups and so far you're the only person to even attempt to help
> us figure this out.
>
> Do you think if we do BCP, that will work better? My partner and I are
> going to attempt this today and see what happens. We're out of options after
> that and the programmer is planning to use Access of which I'd rather not do.
>
>
> "Allan Mitchell" wrote:
>
>> Colette
>>
>> Are you saying that the length of a fixed width attribute is cut to 255 or that the number of columns is cut to 255?
>>
>> What SP are you on?
>>
>> I have just manually created a file that consisted of 257*s and then 5*d on one line
>>
>> I then created my columns in the designer and everything was seen correctly by the destination
>>
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> --
>>
>> Allan Mitchell MCSE,MCDBA, (Microsoft SQL Server MVP)
>> www.SQLDTS.com - The site for all your DTS needs.
>> www.SQLIS.com - SQL Server 2005 Integration Services.
>> www.Konesans.com
>>
>>
>> "Colette" <Colette@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:EBD34039-9A69-4A9D-A63E-B9E6B6F5BB59@microsoft.com...
>> > If anyone from Microsoft is out there, please help because I know this HAS to
>> > be a bug and you would think Microsoft could give us a fix!
>> >
>> > We have Mainframe data being exported to a text file in fixed column format
>> > with 600 columns and growing in the future. I then go into the Local Package
>> > Design and do a Disconnected Edit. When I go into the Properties of the Text
>> > file using Fixed Field (Info is aligned into columns of equal width), I try
>> > to manually adjust the "Column Lenths" and "Number of Column" and then save
>> > the package. When I go back into the Properties of the Text file, all the
>> > vertical lines are missing that I manually entered. It appears to cut them
>> > off right around 255.
>> >
>> > I then went into Package, Disconnected Edit and drilled down to Text File,
>> > OLE DB Properties trying to find the 255 value so I could change it to 8000.
>> > Only "Max characters per delimited column" is found to manually change the
>> > value.
>> >
>> > We can't ask our Mainframe people to export in delimited instead of fixed
>> > because our customers require fixed.
>> >
>> > How in the world do I get around this problem? It worked fine in 7.0 but
>> > not in 2000. We're trying to get everyone to upgrade to 2000 but it's a
>> > little hard to convince them when we can't find solutions to this oversight
>> > from Microsoft.
>> >
>> > Pulling hair out.....
>> >
>>
>>
>>