Re: SQL external UDF or proc: Ability to specify binding directory to locate external functions and procedures

I'm not real sure what you are asking for here. When you define an external
UDF or procedure, this points at an already compiled object, either a
program or service program object. The specific object is named in EXTERNAL
NAME. No binding directory necessary here, or even useable, the definition
of the external UDF or procedure tells where to find the program or
procedure. You can use a binding directory when creating the program or
service program if necessary, but the SQL definition is just a pointer, it
doesn't cause anything to be compiled or created.

Second point, the binding directory is only used when a program or service
program object is created. Since defining an external SQL UDF or procedure
does not create a program object, not real sure how you think a binding
directory might be helpful here either.

On Wed, Nov 22, 2017 at 4:01 PM, Mike Jones <mike.jones.sysdev@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Hi,

I don't believe we yet have a way to specify a binding directory for
locating external functions and procedures when creating SQL external
UDF's and procedures. If I'm wrong, please educate me.

For example, in RPG, we can use an H-spec or CTL-OPT spec with: BNDDIR(
'QC2LE' ), and then specify a prototype for the C language SLEEP function.

When creating an SQL external UDF or procedure, I'd like to be able to
specify:

PROGRAM TYPE SUB EXTERNAL NAME BNDDIR( 'QC2LE' ) EXTPROC( 'SLEEP' )

or

PROGRAM TYPE MAIN EXTERNAL NAME BNDDIR( 'MY_BNDDIR' ) EXTPGM( 'MY_PGM' )

...or something similar, like we can in RPG.

Unless I'm missing something, today, some of our alternatives include:
* Figure out where SLEEP actually resides and point the EXTERNAL NAME at
its location.
* Create a, for example, RPG wrapper specifying BNDDIR( 'QC2LE' ) plus a
prototype with EXTPROC( 'SLEEP' ), and then point the SQL external UDF or
procedure EXTERNAL NAME to the RPG wrapper program or procedure.

The ability to specify a binding directory and routine would make it
faster, and easier to create SQL external UDFs and procedure wrappers.

I'm wondering if there's significant interest in creating a RFE requesting
said ability from IBM.

Mike
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