python and sql: issue reading a sql file

Question

I'm trying to read a sql file but it keeps giving me the error:

UnicodeError: UTF-16 stream does not start with BOM

I've created a fxn to read sql files specifically:

import pandas as pd
import pyodbc as db
import os
import codecs

def sql_reader_single(qry_file, server_name, database, encoding='utf16'):
    server = db.connect(str('DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER='+server_name+';DATABASE='+database+';'))
    with codecs.open(qry_file, encoding=encoding) as qf:
        data = pd.read_sql(qf.read(), server)
    return data

then I called it to read data:

Data = sp.sql_reader_single(qry_file=QryFile, server_name='my_server', database='my_db')

what am i doing wrong?

I've looked into:

utf-16 file seeking in python. how?

and tried both utf-16-le or utf-16-be, but I would get an error with a bunch of japanese/chinese characters like this:

pandas.io.sql.DatabaseError: Execution failed on sql '䕓䕌呃ഠ 楤瑳湩瑣਍††⨠਍†剆䵏䔠坄䔮坄䘮捡剴捥楥楶杮潇摯⁳牦൧': ('42000', "[42000] [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Incorrect syntax near '0x0a0d'. (102) (SQLExecDirectW)")

the sql file contains a very simple query, like this:

SELECT distinct *
  FROM FactReceiving

I would try to create the file again and type the SQL statement in there and not copy and paste it. Sometimes, there can be invisible characters copied if you have copied and pasted the query from somewhere. Are you sure its a `utf-16` file and not a `utf-8`? — clinomaniac, Feb 26 '18 at 21:17
@clinomaniac hi thanks a lot for trying to help! what do you mean create the file again? — alwaysaskingquestions, Feb 26 '18 at 21:19
Create a new file and type the contents in there. Don't copy and paste it. If the issue is caused by invisible characters then those will be copied again and cause the same issue. — clinomaniac, Feb 26 '18 at 21:20
Seems trivial but just checking the basics, are you sure you are reading the right file? I don't know how you are getting those characters in the error message. Can you try to read the file using `utf-8`? — clinomaniac, Feb 26 '18 at 21:24
@clinomaniac ok thats interesting... so i have 2 qry files; one requires utf16; one requires utf8. any idea why this happens? — alwaysaskingquestions, Feb 26 '18 at 21:28
I have posted what worked as an answer. Please accept it if it was helpful. Thanks. — clinomaniac, Feb 26 '18 at 21:32

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 26 '18 at 21:32

0

Try to read the file as UTF-8.

answered Feb 26 '18 at 21:32

clinomaniac

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the reason why i used utf-16 was because previously my query wont be read if it was utf-8 and only works w utf-16; i am very confused why sometimes works w 16 sometimes works w 8; not like i write in two different languages..... but i still really appreciate the help!!! – alwaysaskingquestions Feb 26 '18 at 21:58
I am not sure how the files were created and how they might be different. Usually the first few bytes in a file tell them apart. They are called BOM. If you open a file in Notepad++, you are able to choose which encoding to use. – clinomaniac Feb 26 '18 at 22:00

python and sql: issue reading a sql file

1 Answers1