Inserting SQL Server Data Into Salesforce with a Cursor

This blog provides an example of transferring data from a local SQL Server table to Salesforce. We are using the Salesforce.com ODBC Driver to insert three records into the Salesforce Product2 table.

  1. Configure a linked server that connects to Salesforce.
  2. In SQL Server Management Studio, change the Linked Server > Linked Server Properties > Server Options > RPC Out setting to True.
  3. Create this table in SQL Server: 
    create table NewProducts ( "Name" nvarchar(30), ProductCode nvarchar(10), Description nvarchar(max))
insert into NewProducts values ( 'Test1', 'TEST01', 'Test 1st description')
insert into NewProducts values ( 'Test2', 'TEST02', '2nd description' )
insert into NewProducts values ( 'Test3', 'TEST03', '3rd Test description')

    You can insert data into any of the columns in the Product2 table, assuming you have the necessary permissions.

  4. Execute the following SQL: 
    -- Declare a variable for each column you want to insert:
declare @Name nvarchar(30)
declare @ProductCode nvarchar(10)
declare @Description nvarchar(max)

-- Use a cursor to select your data, which enables SQL Server to extract
-- the data from your local table to the variables.
declare ins_cursor cursor for 
        select "Name", ProductCode, Description from NewProducts
    open ins_cursor
    fetch next from ins_cursor into @Name, @ProductCode, @Description -- At this point, the data from the first row
                                                                      -- is in your local variables.

    -- Move through the table with the @@FETCH_STATUS=0 
    while @@FETCH_STATUS=0
    Begin

         -- Execute the insert to push this data into Salesforce. Replace "SF_LINK" with the name of your Salesforce Linked Server.
        exec ('insert into Product2 ( "Name", ProductCode, Description ) Values (?, ?, ?)', @Name, @ProductCode ,@Description ) at SF_LINK

         -- Once the execution has taken place, you fetch the next row of data from your local table.
        fetch next from ins_cursor into @Name, @ProductCode, @Description
    End

    -- When all the rows have inserted you must close and deallocate the cursor.
    -- Failure to do this will not let you re-use the cursor.    
    close ins_cursor
    deallocate ins_cursor

See Also