Question: I have seen a number of hacks to try to get the bcp utility to export column names along with the data. If all I am doing is dumping a table to a text file what is the most straightforward method to have bcp add the column headers?

Here's the bcp command I am currently using:

```
bcp myschema.dbo.myTableout myTable.csv /SmyServer01 /c /t, -T

```

Answer: 
The easiest is to use the `queryout` option and use `union all` to link a column list with the actual table content

```
    bcp "select 'col1', 'col2',... union all select * from myschema.dbo.myTableout" queryout myTable.csv /SmyServer01 /c /t, -T

```

An example:

```
create table Question1355876
(id int, name varchar(10), someinfo numeric)

insert into Question1355876
values (1, 'a', 123.12)
     , (2, 'b', 456.78)
     , (3, 'c', 901.12)
     , (4, 'd', 353.76)

```

This query will return the information with the headers as first row (note the casts of the numeric values):

```
select 'col1', 'col2', 'col3'
union all
select cast(id as varchar(10)), name, cast(someinfo as varchar(28))
from Question1355876

```

The bcp command will be:

```
bcp "select 'col1', 'col2', 'col3' union all select cast(id as varchar(10)), name, cast(someinfo as varchar(28)) from Question1355876" queryout myTable.csv /SmyServer01 /c /t, -T

```
Here is a pretty simple stored procedure that does the trick as well...

```
    CREATE PROCEDURE GetBCPTable
    @table_name varchar(200)
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @raw_sql nvarchar(3000)

    DECLARE @columnHeader VARCHAR(8000)
    SELECT @columnHeader = COALESCE(@columnHeader+',' ,'')+ ''''+column_name +'''' FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS WHERE TABLE_NAME = @table_name

    DECLARE @ColumnList VARCHAR(8000)
    SELECT @ColumnList = COALESCE(@ColumnList+',' ,'')+ 'CAST('+column_name +' AS VARCHAR)' FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS WHERE TABLE_NAME = @table_name

    SELECT @raw_sql = 'SELECT '+ @columnHeader +' UNION ALL SELECT ' + @ColumnList + ' FROM ' + @table_name
    --PRINT @raw_SQL
    EXECUTE sp_executesql  @raw_sql
END
GO

```