The row delimiter cannot be the same as the column delimiter

Question

When I try to add a column and set the ColumnDelimiter in the Flat File Connection Manager Editor, I get the error:

The row delimiter cannot be the same as the column delimiter.

How can I specify the delimiter?

Answer 1

Assuming that you are trying to add a new column from the Advanced tab in the Flat File connection manager, you must note that the ColumnDelimiter property for each column is were you set the column delimiter except the last column where this property is used to set the row delimiter.

Getting back to the error:

The row delimiter cannot be the same as the column delimiter.

You must check that the last column delimiter is different from the previous columns.

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Update 1 - Experiments

I added a new flat file conneciton manager, the in the Advanced Tab I added two columns, from the screenshots below, you can check that the first column delimiter is , while the second is {CR}{LF}.

If you try to change the second delimiter to , you will receive the following error and the property cannot be changed:

Answer 2

Yes this error is obvious , please select from flat file connection manager row delimiter as {CR}{LF} and any of the highlighter for column delimiter , you will not get the error.

Generally we use {CR}{LF} as to read the end of line, please check the definition below for {CR}{LF}.

End of Line characters include CR or LF. Windows uses both {CR}{LF} at the end of a line, whereas Unix uses only a LF.

• CR = Carriage Return
• LF = Line Feed

please follow the snapshot and choose the highlighted delimiter as column delimiter to avoid the error in your package.

Answer 3

Check your source file, it might not have the column you are trying to add.

Click on Browse, and reload the file with the column.

Second solution:

The format specified in the Flat File Connection Manager Editor on the first page should be delimited only.

Change your format to something else, than change it back to "Delimited" and then go to the "Columns" section, the column delimiter dropdown should be enabled.