copying a table from one database to another "last" doesn't appear the same

[Jason]

In enterprise manager I am copying a table from one database to
another. I am using the dts wizard to import the data. After I
successfully import the data, I open both tables to compare the
records to make sure they are the same. I right click on a field and
click "last" for both tables. However, the record is different for
both. If I do a query the record is still there but they do not show
up in the same order. Why does'nt the import wizard import the
records in the same order? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[David Portas]

Rows in a table are not ordered. The Wizard does an INSERT... SELECT from
one table to another and unless there's a clustered index on the table
there's a good chance that the rows will be physically stored in a different
order.

Don't worry about the physical order - just use SELECT... ORDER BY if you
want to see the rows ordered.

--
David Portas
------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup
--

[Bill]

Great! Thank you very much for your help! After submitting this
question I noticed that microsoft mentions this on their site:

"Because SQL Server can use parallel scans to retrieve data, the data
bulk copied from an instance of SQL Server is not guaranteed to be in
any specific order unless you bulk copy from a query and specify an
ORDER BY clause."


*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***
Don't just participate in USENET...get rewarded for it!

[David Portas]

But note that even if you manage to insert the rows in a specific order
there is no guarantee that they will be sorted in that order when you view
the data. If you require a specific order then you need to use ORDER BY
every time you want to view the data.

--
David Portas
------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup
--