# Export Table as Flat File - Automating the process?

**URL:** <https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721>\
**Category:** Toad for Oracle & DevOps Toolkit\
**Created:** [March 15, 2018, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721 "2018-03-15T08:08:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jeff.butler\_27568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jeff.butler\_27568](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/jeff.butler_27568)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721/1 "2018-03-15T08:08:56Z")

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Hello,

Is it not possible to automate the “Export Table as Flat File” process in Toad for Oracle 12.12.0.39?

More specifically, I am looking for a way to automate the generation/saving of the Specification File for every table in a schema.

Thanks,  
Jeff

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**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 8:18am UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721/2 "2018-03-15T08:18:45Z")

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Look at Export Dataset with the “Fixed Field Spacing” format. It doesn’t use the specification file. Field spacing is based on table DDL. If I remember correctly, the “Include a space between fields” option will make the files have the same field sizes as “Export to flat file”.

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**Author:** ![jeff.butler\_27568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jeff.butler\_27568](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/jeff.butler_27568)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 8:29am UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721/3 "2018-03-15T08:29:03Z")

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Thanks for the info, that’s what I’ve used to get the data files, however the request I am working on asked a simple specification file too, not actual Oracle DDL scripts.

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**Author:** ![JohnDorlon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/quest/user_avatar/forums.toadworld.com/johndorlon/32/9997_2.png) [@JohnDorlon](https://forums.toadworld.com/u/JohnDorlon)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://forums.toadworld.com/t/export-table-as-flat-file-automating-the-process/40721/4 "2018-03-15T08:31:20Z")

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Oh, I see. Sorry, there’s no way to auto-generate a bunch of spec files like that.