Re: SQLCLI data types and internal (System i) formats

Within SQL, the following holds true:

SQL_CHAR = Fixed-length Alphanumeric
SQL_VARCHAR = alpha prefixed by length (VARYING in RPG)
SQL_NUMERIC = zoned decimal
SQL_DECIMAL = packed decimal
SQL_SMALLINT = 2-byte integer
SQL_INTEGER = 4-byte integer
SQL_BIGINT = 8-byte integer
SQL_FLOAT = 4 byte floating-point
SQL_DOUBLE = 8-byte floating point

Some CLI APIs will attempt to make a conversion from these types to stuff supported in C. For example, CHAR or VARCHAR might be converted to a null-termated string. So, sometimes you have to make a distinction between the SQL types (listed above) and the C types (SQL_C_CHAR, et al).


On 3/2/2011 11:20 AM, Dennis Lovelady wrote:

I have been scanning the web looking for a made-for-humans chart that
will describe the various SQL CLI values and how they relate to our
beloved i. There are a few references that make a feeble attempt at
correlating [some of] these values against C object types, but these
fall way short, especially when it comes to Packed vs. Zoned, et cetera.
(This is made more confusing that the terms PACKED and ZONED don't even
apparently make it to the SQL CLI vocabulary, and are apparently
replaced by the ambiguous SQL_NUMERIC and SQL_DECIMAL (?) terms. But I
digress.)

Some of the ambiguities are: SQL_BIGINT, SQL_BINARY, SQL_INT,
SQL_NUMERIC, SQL_SMALLINT. Then there's SQL_FLOAT, SQL_REAL and
SQL_DECFLOAT. That's just for starters. Obviously, some of these are
synonyms for others, but that knowledge by itself isn't much help.

Where may I find a chart or other reference that will help me decipher
the SQL data types, in hopes that a clever routine may make use of this
information for conversion purposes?
--
Programming: An act similar to banging one's head against a wall, but
with fewer opportunities for reward.