An example of misleading SSIS documentation.
After wasting weeks on trying to get SSIS to do anything more than import or export to Excel, I decided to post about just how bad and misleading the documentation for SSIS data types as a warning to others wanting to try and use this technology.My main source of frustration is the complete lack of ability of SSIS to handle data types other than strings. The concept of having to go through 3 different sets of data types is ridiculous and in any case they simply dont work. I can post exmaple to prove this.In the meantime I thought I would show how misleading the documentation is:Here is a MS link clearly stating that a DT_WSTR can be legally converted to a DT_DBDATE.http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms141704.aspxWhen you actually attempt to do you get a Data Conversion error:Error code 0x80020005 occurred attempting to convert from data type DT_WSTR to data type DT_DBDATE. Casting expression "@[User::LastPaymentDate]" from data type "DT_WSTR" to data type "DT_DBDATE" failed with error code 0xC00470C2. The same happens when trying to convert a Decimal SQL data type. Once again the documents state that DT_WSTR can be converted to a DT_DECIMAL. Unfortunately the concept of passing a SQL data type other than VARCHAR is not supported although you will get loads of documentation saying it is.As a simple test , create a SQLtable , 1 field and 1 row of data. Make the data type datetime and add a getdate() value. Now create a global datetime variable and then try and pass the SQL date value into the datetime variable. This will fail. To get it to workyou have to : 1. Make the global variable a string type and thenCAST the datetime SQL valueto a string. If you attempt to cast the variable type back into a datatype that you need, you will get an error as shown above. If you can live with all your data in string then I suppose you can get some value from SSIS. I need to pass correctly type data to stored procs so its of no use to me. (UnlessI cast the data types back inside the procs.)When will a decent version of SSIS be launched....one that works the way they say it does?
June 3rd, 2009 4:28pm

Could you please file a bug, and pastethe code piece of DT_WSTR -> DT_DBDATE where it goes wrong? That would help.Below is a related post, please check if it helps:http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/sqlintegrationservices/thread/e44bea20-3c4f-4e29-8a97-dea5b529324bThanks.Ke
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July 5th, 2009 6:15pm

Oddly enough, I can give you loads of examples where converting datetime and decimals works fine in production. Not sure what your problems are, or how it is that you are trying to do the conversions. If you post the problems that you are having the community might be able to help you out.Please mark answered posts. Thanks for your time.
July 5th, 2009 7:24pm

Yes I have noticed similar thing too SSIS-Tutorials-FAQs | Convert DTS to SSIS | Document SSIS | SSIS Tasks | Real-time SSIS Monitoring
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April 28th, 2011 12:57am

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