Advanced ETL Processor transforms fixed-width files with the Text Reader by splitting each row according to field positions and widths. Use this when there are no delimiters, just columns that start and end in the same place on every line. Very old-school, but still alive in production systems that refuse to retire gracefully.
What You Will Learn
- Configure a Text Reader for fixed-width input.
- Define column names and field widths in the data definition view.
- Preview the parsed data before mapping it to the next transformation step.
- Check line terminators, skipped rows, and rejected record handling before automation.
Before You Start
Use a small sample file with known column positions. Fixed-width files are precise; one wrong width turns names, dates, and amounts into soup.
Fixed-Width Text Reader Docs
The Text Reader documentation covers both delimited and fixed-width files, including configurable source parameters, skipped header and footer rows, and rejected records.
Start with About Text Reader and Properties. The line terminator setting matters on large files; the docs call this out because hanging on a giant text file is nobody's preferred diagnostic method.
Use Data View to check the parsed rows before building the rest of the transformation. Use Data Definition View to rename fields and adjust widths for fixed-width files.
For the wider transformation flow, pair this tutorial with the Data Reader, transformation screen overview, and Writer docs.
Need Advanced ETL Processor First?
Download the Advanced ETL Processor trial before following the tutorial, or review Enterprise if you need scheduled unattended execution.