Export SQL Data with Pipe Delimiter
Convert SQL INSERT data to pipe-delimited format. Pipe delimiters are common in data exchange between enterprise systems and ETL pipelines.
Export Options
Detailed Explanation
Pipe-Delimited Export
The pipe character (|) is a popular delimiter in data exchange formats, especially in enterprise environments, mainframe data exports, and ETL pipelines. It's rarely found in natural text data, making it an excellent alternative to commas.
Example SQL
INSERT INTO transactions (id, date, description, amount, currency) VALUES
(1, '2024-01-15', 'Payment for Invoice #1234', 1500.00, 'USD'),
(2, '2024-01-16', 'Refund: Order #5678, damaged item', -89.99, 'USD'),
(3, '2024-01-17', 'Subscription renewal (Annual)', 599.00, 'EUR');
Pipe-Delimited Output
id|date|description|amount|currency
1|2024-01-15|Payment for Invoice #1234|1500.00|USD
2|2024-01-16|Refund: Order #5678, damaged item|-89.99|USD
3|2024-01-17|Subscription renewal (Annual)|599.00|EUR
Advantages of Pipe Delimiters
- Rare in data: The pipe character almost never appears in names, addresses, or descriptions
- Visual clarity: Pipe-delimited files are easy to read in plain text editors
- Enterprise standard: Many EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) formats use pipes
- No quoting needed: Since pipes rarely occur in data, fields almost never need quoting
When Fields Contain Pipes
If a value does contain a pipe character, the tool wraps it in the configured quote character (double quote by default) just like it would for any delimiter. This ensures the output is always parseable.
Use Case
Generating data files for enterprise ETL pipelines, mainframe data feeds, or legacy systems that expect pipe-delimited flat files.