DESCRIBE

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DESCRIBE gathers information on the result-set or dynamic variable specifications in a prepared statement and places the information in an SQL descriptor area.

Usage

Embedded.

Description

Information concerning the prepared statement identified by statement-name is placed in the named SQL descriptor area.

The two forms: DESCRIBE statement... and DESCRIBE OUTPUT statement... are equivalent, and gather information on the items in the result-set of the statement and places it in the SQL descriptor area.

DESCRIBE INPUT statement... describes the statement's input and output variables.

DESCRIBE OUTPUT statement... describes the result-set returned by the statement.

If descriptions of both the result-set and the input variables are required for a prepared statement, the statement must be described separately with each form of DESCRIBE.

The descriptor-name is identified by a host variable or a literal.

See ALLOCATE DESCRIPTOR for a description of the SQL descriptor area.

See ALLOCATE CURSOR for a description of extended statements.

See also, GET DESCRIPTOR.

Restrictions

The DESCRIBE statement is only applicable to dynamically prepared SQL statements.

Examples

 exec sql DESCRIBE OUTPUT stmt2 USING SQL DESCRIPTOR :SQLA1;
 
 exec sql ALLOCATE DESCRIPTOR 'DescrIn';
 exec sql ALLOCATE DESCRIPTOR 'DescrOut';
 exec sql PREPARE 'stmt X1' FROM :sqlstr;
 exec sql DESCRIBE INPUT 'stmt X1' USING SQL DESCRIPTOR 'DescrIn';
 exec sql DESCRIBE OUTPUT 'stmt X1' USING SQL DESCRIPTOR 'DescrOut';
 

For more information, see the Mimer SQL Programmer's Manual, Describing Prepared Statements.

Standard Compliance

Standard	Compliance	Comments
SQL-2003	Features outside core	Feature B031, "Basic dynamic SQL".

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