BL_PRESERVE_BLANKS= Data Set Option

Determines how the SQL*Loader handles requests to insert blank spaces into CHAR/VARCHAR2 columns with the NOT NULL constraint.

Valid in: DATA and PROC steps (when accessing DBMS data using SAS/ACCESS software)
Categories: Bulk Loading
Data Set Control
Default: NO
Restriction: This option is not supported on z/OS.
Requirement: To specify this option, you must first specify BULKLOAD=YES.
Data source: Oracle
See: BULKLOAD= data set option

Table of Contents

Syntax

BL_PRESERVE_BLANKS=YES | NO

Syntax Description

YES

specifies that blank values are inserted as blank spaces.

CAUTION

When this option is set to YES, any trailing blank spaces are also inserted. For this reason, use this option with caution. It is recommended that you set this option to YES only for CHAR columns. Do not set this option to YES for VARCHAR2 columns because trailing blank spaces are significant in VARCHAR2 columns.

NO

specifies that blank values are inserted as null values.

Last updated: February 3, 2026