Managing Microsoft SQL Server Metadata

In this section:

When the server accesses a data source, it needs to know how to interpret the data stored there. For each data source the server will access, you create a synonym that describes the structure of the data source and the server mapping of the Microsoft SQL Server data types.


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Creating Synonyms

How to:

Reference:

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Synonyms define unique names (or aliases) for each Microsoft SQL Server table or view that is accessible from the server. Synonyms are useful because they hide the underlying data source location and identity from client applications. They also provide support for extended metadata features of the server, such as virtual fields and additional security mechanisms.

Using synonyms allows an object to be moved or renamed while allowing client applications to continue functioning without modification. The only modification required is a redefinition of the synonym on the server. The result of creating a synonym is a Master File and an Access File, which represent the server metadata.

The adapter supports the creation of metadata for certain types of MS SQL Native Synonyms. This feature is only available for Microsoft SQL Server versions 2005 and higher.

You can create metadata for Native Synonyms under the following conditions:

The following types of Native Synonyms are not supported:

The Dynamic Columns (NOCOLS) and Cardinality (WITHSTATS) parameters are not supported when creating metadata for a Native Synonym.

Note that creating a synonym for a stored procedure is described with reporting against a stored procedure, in Generating a Synonym for a Stored Procedure.



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Procedure: How to Create a Synonym

To create a synonym, you must have previously configured the adapter. You can create a synonym from the Applications or Adapters pages of the Web Console.

  1. From the Web Console menu bar, click Applications.

    The Applications page opens.

  2. Click the New button and select Synonym from the drop-down menu.

    The Select adapter to configure or Select connection to create synonym pane opens.

  3. Click a connection for the configured adapter.

    The first of a series of synonym creation panes opens.

  4. Enter values for the parameters required by the adapter as described in the synonym creation parameters reference.
  5. After entering the parameter values, click Create Synonym.

    The Status pane indicates that the synonym was created successfully.

The synonym is created and added under the specified application directory.

Note:



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Reference: Synonym Creation Parameters for Microsoft SQL Server

The following list describes the synonym creation parameters for which you can supply values.

Restrict Object Type to

Restrict candidates for synonym creation based on the selected object type(s): Tables, Views, External SQL Scripts, and any other supported objects.

Choosing External SQL Scripts from the drop-down list enables you to represent an SQL Query as a synonym for read-only reporting. A Synonym candidate can be any file that contains one (and only one) valid SQL Query and does not contain end-of-statement delimiters (";" or "/") and comments.

Depending on the adapter, you can further restrict your search by choosing check boxes for listed objects.

Important: If you select Stored Procedures as your object type, the input parameters will be a little different from those described here. For details, refer to Creating a Report Against a Stored Procedure.

Database selection

To specify a database from which you can select a table or other object, do one of the following:

  • Check Use current database to use the database that has been set as the default database.
  • Select a database from the Select database drop-down list, which lists all databases in the current DBMS instance.

    Before selecting a database, if Use current database is checked, uncheck it.

To specify the intended database, choose from the Select database drop-down menu, which shows all databases on the targeted instance of Microsoft SQL Server. Selecting Default Database will retain the database set during connection configuration. If Default Database was not set during configuration, the database assigned to the active login on the SQL Server will be used as the default.

Filter by Owner/Schema and Object name

Selecting this option adds the Owner/Schema and Object Name parameters to the screen.

  • Owner/Schema. Type a string for filtering the selection, inserting the wildcard character (%) as needed at the beginning and/or end of the string. For example, enter: ABC% to select tables or views whose owner/schema begin with the letters ABC; %ABC to select tables or views whose owner/schema end with the letters ABC; %ABC% to select tables or views whose owner/schema contain the letters ABC at the beginning, middle, or end.
  • Object name. Type a string for filtering the object names, inserting the wildcard character (%) as needed at the beginning and/or end of the string. For example, enter: ABC% to select all objects whose names begin with the letters ABC; %ABC to select all whose names end with the letters ABC; %ABC% to select all whose names contain the letters ABC at the beginning, middle, or end.
Location of External SQL Scripts

xIf you specify External SQL Scripts in the Restrict Object type to field, these additional fields are displayed.

The following standard naming conventions apply for UNIX, IBM i IFS, and z/OS HFS:

  • In the Base Location field, specify the physical directory location of the file that contains the SQL Query. You can type a directory name or click on the ellipsis. This opens the Select Base Location dialog box.
  • In the Document Name field, enter the file name with or without wild card characters.
  • In the Document Extension field, enter the extension of the script files to filter the list of candidates.

On IBM i, you can use alternative IFS naming conventions to access library members. The following entry illustrates this method:

  • In the Base Location field, enter:
    /QSYS.LIB/MYLIBRARY.LIB/MYSRC.FILE
  • The Document Extension is understood to be MBR. You can enter this value explicitly or leave the input box blank.

During synonym generation, the adapter issues native API calls to obtain a list of elements in the select list and builds the Master File with a field for each element. The generated Access File references the location of the SQL script in the DATASET attribute, which contains the full path, including the name and extension of the file containing the SQL Query. For example,

DATASET=/ul/home2/apps/report3.sql

When a WebFOCUS report is created, the SQL Query is used to access data.

Cardinality

Select the Cardinality check box to reflect the current cardinality (number of rows or tuples) in the table during metadata creation. Cardinality is used for equi-joins. The order of retrieval is based on the size (cardinality) of the table. Smaller tables are read first.

If the cardinality of the tables to be used in the application are dynamic, it may not be beneficial to choose this setting.

With foreign key

Select the With foreign key check box to include within this synonym every table related to the current table by a foreign key. The resulting multi-table synonym describes all of the foreign key relationships of this table.

Dynamic columns

To specify that the Master File created for the synonym should not contain column information, select the Dynamic columns check box.

If this option is selected, column data is retrieved dynamically from the data source at the time of the request.

For Subquery

Only available when External SQL Scripts is selected from the Restrict objects type to drop-down menu. When selected, a SUBQUERY keyword is added to the Access File of the generated synonym. If the corresponding SQL string is not parameterized (that is, does not contain parameter markers, such as ? or :), it will be processed as a subquery embedded into a FROM clause of the generated SELECT query. Otherwise, the setting will be ignored, and a FOC1782 warning message will be issued. The default is selected (SUBQUERY=Y).

Application

Select an application directory. The default value is baseapp.

Prefix/Suffix

If you have tables with identical table names, assign a prefix or a suffix to distinguish them. For example, if you have identically named human resources and payroll tables, assign the prefix HR to distinguish the synonyms for the human resources tables. Note that the resulting synonym name cannot exceed 64 characters.

If all tables and views have unique names, leave the prefix and suffix fields blank.

Customize data type mappings

To change the data type mappings from their default settings, select this check box. The customizable mappings are displayed.

For information about customizable mappings, see Microsoft SQL Server Data Type Support.

Overwrite Existing Synonyms

To specify that this synonym should overwrite any earlier synonym with the same fully qualified name, select the Overwrite existing synonyms check box.

Note: The connected user must have operating system write privileges in order to recreate a synonym.

Default Synonym Name

This column displays the name that will be assigned to each synonym. To assign a different name, replace the displayed value.

Select tables

Select tables for which you wish to create synonyms:

  • To select all tables in the list, click the Select All button.
  • To select specific tables, select the corresponding check boxes.


Example: Sample Generated Synonym

An Adapter for Microsoft SQL Server synonym comprises a Master File and an Access File. This is a synonym for the table nf29004.

Generated Master File nf29004.mas

FILE=DIVISION, SUFFIX=SQLMSS ,$
SEGNAME=SEG1_4, SEGTYPE=S0 ,$
FIELD=DIVISION4,    DIVISION4,    I9,  I4,  MISSING=OFF ,$
FIELD=DIVISION_NA4, DIVISION_NA4, A25, A25, MISSING=ON  ,$
FIELD=DIVISION_HE4, DIVISION_HE4, I9,  I4,  MISSING=ON  ,$

Generated Access File nf29004.acx

SEGNAME=SEG1_4,TABLENAME=edaqa.nf29004,
CONNECTION=connmss, KEYS=1, WRITE=YES,$


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Reference: Mapping Microsoft SQL Table Comments Into a Synonym

When you generate a synonym for a Microsoft SQL table, the adapter maps comments as follows:

Both Unicode and non-Unicode comments are supported.



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Reference: Access File Keywords

This chart describes the keywords in the Access File.

Keyword

Description

SEGNAME

Value must be identical to the SEGNAME value in the Master File.

TABLENAME

Identifies the Microsoft SQL Server table. The table name can be fully qualified as follows:

TABLENAME=[[database.]owner.]table
CONNECTION

Indicates a previously declared connection. The syntax is:

CONNECTION=connection

CONNECTION=' ' indicates access to the local database server.

Absence of the CONNECTION attribute indicates access to the default database server.

KEYS

Indicates how many columns constitute the primary key for the table. Range is 0 to 64. Corresponds to the first n fields in the Master File segment.

WRITE

Specifies whether write operations are allowed against the table.

KEYFLD IXFLD

Supply the names of the primary key and foreign key fields that implement the relationships established by the multi-table Master File. Together, KEYFLD and IXFLD identify the field shared by a related table pair.

  • KEYFLD is the FIELDNAME of the common column from the parent table.
  • IXFLD is the FIELDNAME of the common column from the related table.

KEYFLD and IXFLD must have the same data type. It is recommended, but not required, that their lengths also be the same.

Note: An RDBMS index on both the KEYFLD and IXFLD columns provides the RDBMS with a greater opportunity to produce efficient joins. The columns must have the same data type. If their length is the same, the RDBMS handles the join more efficiently.

AUTO INCREMENT

When set to Yes, enables the auto increment feature.

START

Initial value in incrementing sequence.

INCREMENT

Increment interval.

INDEX_NAME
INDEX_UNIQUE
INDEX_COLUMNS
INDEX_ORDER

Indicate a name of the index in a database, uniqueness, name, and order of the indexed column(s).



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Reference: Managing Synonyms

Once you have created a synonym, you can right-click the synonym name in the Adapter navigation pane of either the Web Console or the Data Management Console to access the following options.

Option

Description

Open

Opens the Master File for viewing and editing using a graphical interface. If an Access file is used it will be also available.

Edit as Text

Enables you to view and manually edit the Master File synonym.

Note: To update the synonym, it is strongly recommended that you use the graphical interface provided by the Open option, rather than manually editing the Master File.

Edit Access File as Text

Enables you to view and manually edit the Access File synonym.

Note: This option is available only when an Access File is created as part of the synonym.

Sample Data

Retrieves up to 20 rows from the associated data source.

Data Profiling

Data Profiling provides the data characteristics for synonym columns.

Alphanumeric columns provide the count of distinct values, total count, maximum, minimum, average length, and number of nulls.

Numeric columns provide the count of distinct values, total count, maximum, minimum, average value, and number of nulls.

Refresh Synonym (if applicable)

Regenerates the synonym. Use this option if the underlying object has been altered.

Data Management

Followed by these options, if applicable:

Recreate DBMS Table. Recreates the data source table. You are asked to confirm this selection before the table is regenerated. (Note that the table will be dropped and recreated. During the process, data may be lost.)

Delete All Data. Deletes all existing data. You are asked to confirm this selection before the data is deleted.

Insert Sample Data. Inserts specified number of sample records, populating all fields with counter values.

Reorganize. Recreates the data source table preserving original data.

Note: This option is not available in the Web Console.

Impact Analysis

Generates reports on procedures, synonyms, and columns that provide information on the flows/stored procedures available on a particular server, and the synonyms and columns they use. These reports enable you to evaluate changes before they are made by showing which components will be affected. See the Server Administration for UNIX, Windows, OpenVMS, IBM i, and z/OS manual for details about Impact Analysis reports.

Copy

Copies the synonym to the clipboard.

Delete

Deletes the synonym. You are asked to confirm this selection before the synonym is deleted.

Cut

Deletes the synonym and places it on the clipboard.

Properties

Displays the properties of the synonym, including physical location, last modified date, description, and privileges.



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Microsoft SQL Server Data Type Support

Reference:

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The following tables describe how the server maps Microsoft SQL Server data types.

Microsoft SQL Server Data Type

Server Data Type

Remarks

USAGE

ACTUAL

Date-Time Data Types

TIMESTAMP

A16

A16

Supported as Read-only.

DATE

YYMD

DATE

Range: 0001-01-01 through 9999-12-31. Available only for MS SQL 2008.

TIME

HHIS

HHIS

Range: 00:00:00.0000000 through 23:59:59.9999999. Available only for MS SQL 2008.

DATETIMEOFFSET

HYYMDS

HYYMDS

Range: date portion 0001-01-01 through 9999-12-31, time portion 00:00:00.0000000 through 23:59:59.9999999, time zone offset portion -14:00 through +14:00. Available only for MS SQL 2008.

DATETIME

HYYMDs

HYYMDs

Range: 1/1/1753 to 12/31/9999.

DATETIME2

HYYMDm

HYYMDm

Range: date portion 0001-01-01 through 9999-12-31, time portion 00:00:00.0000000 through 23:59:59.9999999. Available only for MS SQL 2008.

SMALLDATETIME

HYYMDI

HYYMDI

Range: 1/1/1900 thru 6/6/2079.

Numeric Data Types

INT

I11

I4

Range: -231 to 231 - 1.

BIGINT

P20

P10

Range: -263 to 263 - 1.

SMALLINT

I6

I4

Range: -215 to 215 - 1.

TINYINT

I6

I4

Range: 0 to 255.

BIT

I11

I4

-1 for True and 0 for False.

DECIMAL (p,s)

Pn.m

Pk

p is an integer between 1 and 38.

s is an integer between 0 and p.

If s is 0 and p is between 1 and 31, n = p + 1.

If s is 0 and p is between 32 and 38, n = 32.

If s is greater than 0 and p is between 1 and 31, n = p + 2 and m = s.

If s is greater than 0 and p is between 32 and 38, n = 33 and m = 31.

If p is between 1 and 31, k = (p / 2) + 1.

If p is between 32 and 38, k = 16.

Note: If the column is nullable, p is greater than or equal to 8.

NUMERIC (p,s)

Pn.m

Pk

p is an integer between 1 and 38.

s is an integer between 0 and p.

If s is 0 and p is between 1 and 31, n =p + 1.

If s is 0 and p is between 32 and 38, n = 32.

If s is greater than 0 and p is between 1 and 31, n = p + 2 and m = s.

If s is greater than 0 and p is between 32 and 38, n = 33 and m= 31.

If p is between 1 and 31, k = (p / 2) + 1.

If p is between 32 and 38, k = 16.

Note: If the column is nullable, p is greater than or equal to 8.

MONEY

P21.4

P10

Range: -263 to 263 - 1.

SMALLMONEY

P12.4

P8

Range: -214,748.3648 to 214,748.3647.

FLOAT

D20.2

D8

Range: -1.79E+308 to 1.79E+308.

REAL

D20.2

D8

Range: -3.40E+38 to 3.40E+38.

LOB Data Types

TEXT

TX50

TX

Character LOB data.

Maximum storage size is 231 – 1 bytes.

NTEXT

TX50

TX

Character LOB data.

Maximum storage size is 231 – 1 bytes.

VARCHAR (MAX)

TX50

TXV

Character LOB data type is a replacement for TEXT.

Maximum storage size is 231 – 1 bytes.

NVARCHAR (MAX)

TX50

TX

Character LOB data type is a replacement for NTEXT.

Maximum storage size is 231 – 1 bytes.

IMAGE

BLOB

BLOB

Length: 231 - 1.

Supported through the Reporting Server API.

VARBINARY(MAX)

BLOB

BLOB

Replacement for IMAGE. Length: 231 - 1.

Supported through the Reporting Server API.

Other Data Types

UNIQUEIDENTIFIER (GUID)

A38

A38

 

The following table lists how the non-Unicode server maps Character data types. This mapping can be changed based on the value of LONGCHAR. The default value is ALPHA. For more information, see Controlling the Mapping of Large Character Data Types.

Microsoft SQL Server Data Type

Remarks

LONGCHAR ALPHA

LONGCHAR TEXT

USAGE

ACTUAL

USAGE

ACTUAL

CHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 256.

An

An

An

An

n is an integer between 257 and 8000.

An

An

TX50

TX

NCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 128.

An

An

An

An

n is an integer between 129 and 4000.

An

An

TX50

TX

VARCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 256.

AnV

AnV

AnV

AnV

 

AnV

AnV

TX50

TX

NVARCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 128.

AnV

AnV

AnV

AnV

n is an integer between 129 and 4000.

AnV

AnV

TX50

TX

BINARY (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 8000, m = 2 * n.

Am

Am

TX50

TX

VARBINARY (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 8000, m = 2 * n.

AmV

AmV

TX50

TX

SQL_VARIANT

 

A4000V

A4000V

TX50

TX

Note: The main purpose of the LONGCHAR setting is to provide compatibility with previous releases of the server. This SET parameter was designed to control processing of DBMS Character data types and was never intended for DBMS LOB.



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Reference: Data Type Support for Unicode

The following table describes how the Unicode server maps Character data types. The server operates in character semantic when configured for Unicode. The LONGCHAR does not affect mapping in this case.

Microsoft SQL Server Data Type

Data Type

Remarks

USAGE

ACTUAL

CHAR (n) double-byte code page

AnV

AnV

n is an integer between 1 and 8000.

This data type does not support Unicode. However, character columns such as CHAR that had been created with different code pages can be read at the same time only if the server has been configured for Unicode.

NCHAR (n)

An

An

n specifies the number of characters, and is an integer between 1 and 4000.

This data type supports Unicode.

VARCHAR (n)

AnV

AnV

n is an integer between 1 and 8000.

This data type does not support Unicode. However, character columns such as VARCHAR that had been created with different code pages can be read at the same time only if the server has been configured for Unicode.

NVARCHAR (n)

AnV

AnV

n specifies the number of characters, and is an integer between 1 and 4000.

This data type supports Unicode.



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Controlling the Mapping of Large Character Data Types

How to:

The SET parameter CONVERSION LONGCHAR controls the mapping of supported Microsoft SQL Server data types listed below. By default, the server maps these data types as alphanumeric (A). The server data type A supports a maximum of 4096 characters for TABLE/MODIFY and 32768 characters for API applications.



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Syntax: How to Control the Mapping of Large Character Data Types
ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION LONGCHAR {ALPHA|TEXT|BLOB}

where:

SQLMSS

Indicates the adapter. You can omit this value if you previously issued the SET SQLENGINE command.

ALPHA

Maps the Microsoft SQL Server data types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR, BINARY, and VARBINARY as alphanumeric (A). ALPHA is the default value.

TEXT

Maps the Microsoft SQL Server data types CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR, BINARY, and VARBINARY as text (TX). Use this value for WebFOCUS applications.

BLOB

For Windows is identical to ALPHA. That is, it maps the Microsoft SQL Server data types CHAR, NCHAR, and VARCHAR as alphanumeric (A).


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Controlling the Mapping of Variable-Length Data Types

How to:

The SET parameter VARCHAR controls the mapping of the Microsoft SQL Server data type VARCHAR. By default, the server maps these data types as variable character (AnV).

The following table lists data type mappings based on the value of VARCHAR:

Microsoft SQL Server Data Type

Remarks

VARCHAR ON

VARCHAR OFF

USAGE

ACTUAL

USAGE

ACTUAL

VARCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 8000

AnV

AnV

An

An

NVARCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 4000

AnV

AnV

An

An

VARBINARY (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 8000m = 2 * n

AmV

AmV

Am

Am



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Syntax: How to Control the Mapping of Variable-Length Data Types
ENGINE SQLMSS SET VARCHAR {ON|OFF}

where:

SQLMSS

Indicates the adapter. You can omit this value if you previously issued the SET SQLENGINE command.

ON

Maps the Microsoft SQL Server data type VARCHAR as variable-length alphanumeric (AnV). This is required for Unicode environments. ON is the default value.

OFF

Maps the Microsoft SQL Server data type VARCHAR as alphanumeric (A).


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Enabling National Language Support

How to:

The SET parameter NCHAR indicates whether the character set is single-byte, double-byte, or triple-byte. The NCHAR setting affects the mapping of NCHAR and NVARCHAR data types.

The following chart lists data type mappings based on the value of NCHAR.

Microsoft SQL Server Data Type

Remarks

NCHAR SBCS

NCHAR DBCS

NCHAR TBCS

USAGE

ACTUAL

USAGE

ACTUAL

USAGE

ACTUAL

NCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 4000

d = 2 * n
t = 3 * n

An

An

Ad

Ad

At

At

NVARCHAR (n)

n is an integer between 1 and 4000

d = 2 * n
t = 3 * n

An

An

Ad

Ad

At

At

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Syntax: How to Enable National Language Support

The available parameters are:

ENGINE SQLMSS SET NCHAR {SBCS|DBCS|TBCS}

where:

SQLMSS

Indicates the adapter. You can omit this value if you previously issued the SET SQLENGINE command.

SBCS

Indicates a single-byte character set. SBCS is the default value.

DBCS

Indicates a double-byte character set.

TBCS

Indicates a triple-byte character set.


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Trailing Blanks in SQL Expressions

The new SQL Expression generator in the TABLE Adapter by default preserves literal contents, including trailing blanks in string literals and the fractional part and exponential notation in numeric literals. This allows greater control over the generated SQL.

In some rare cases when trailing blanks are not needed, the following syntax

ENGINE SQLMSS SET TRIM_LITERALS ON

is available to ensure backward compatibility.


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Changing the Precision and Scale of Numeric Columns

How to:

You can alter the length and scale of numeric columns returned by a SELECT request to the server by creating different specifications in your login profile or in a stored procedure. The conversion settings are reflected in the Master File in the USAGE and ACTUAL formats of the fields generated by CREATE SYNONYM. This affects how the fields are processed and formatted by the server.

Tip: You can change this setting manually or from the Web Console.



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Syntax: How to Override the Default Precision and Scale
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ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION RESET
ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION format RESET
ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION format [PRECISION precision [scale]]
ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION format [PRECISION MAX]

where:

SQLMSS

Indicates the adapter. You can omit this value if you previously issued the SET SQLENGINE command.

RESET

Returns any previously specified precision and scale values to the adapter defaults. If you specify RESET immediately following the SET CONVERSION command, all data types return to the defaults. If you specify RESET following a particular data type, only columns of that data type are reset.

format

Is any valid format supported by the data source. Possible values are:

INTEGER which indicates that the command applies only to INTEGER columns.

DECIMAL which indicates that the command applies only to DECIMAL columns.

REAL which indicates that the command applies only to single-precision floating-point columns.

Note: Only applies to DB2, CA-IDMS/SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and Sybase.

FLOAT which indicates that the command applies only to double-precision floating-point columns.

precision

Is the precision. Must be greater than 1 and less than or equal to the maximum allowable value for the data type (see the description of MAX).

scale

Is the scale. This is valid with DECIMAL, FLOAT and REAL data types. If you do not specify a value for scale, the current scale setting remains in effect. The default scale value is 2.

If the scale is not required, you must set the scale to 0 (zero).

MAX

Sets the precision to the maximum allowable value for the indicated data type:

Data Type

MAX Precision

INTEGER

11

DECIMAL

18

REAL

9

FLOAT

20

Note: When issuing the CREATE SYNONYM command while the CONVERSION command is active in the profile, the Master File reflects the scale and length that is set by the CONVERSION command.

However, when issuing a SELECT statement, the answer set description does not use the information in the Master File. The length and scale used for the answer set description depends on whether a CONVERSION command is in effect.

If a CONVERSION command is in effect, the answer set description uses the length and scale that is set by the CONVERSION command.

If a CONVERSION command is not in effect, the answer set description uses the actual length and scale of the data.



Example: Setting the Precision and Scale Attributes

The following example shows how to set the precision attribute for all INTEGER and SMALLINT fields to 7:

ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION INTEGER PRECISION 7

The following example shows how to set the precision attribute for all DOUBLE PRECISION fields to 14 and the scale attribute to 3:

ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION FLOAT PRECISION 14 3

The following example shows how to set the precision attribute for all INTEGER and SMALLINT fields to the default:

ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION INTEGER RESET

The following example shows how to set the precision and scale attributes for all fields to the defaults:

ENGINE SQLMSS SET CONVERSION RESET

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Support of Read-Only Fields

CREATE SYNONYM creates a field description with FIELDTYPE=R for Microsoft SQL Server columns created as TIMESTAMP or columns with the IDENTITY attribute. These fields are read-only. When executing a MAINTAIN or MODIFY procedure, the adapter suppresses all write operations against columns marked in the Master File with FIELDTYPE=R.



Example: Supporting a Read-Only Field

This example creates a table in which the first column has the IDENTITY property and the second column is a timestamp column:

CREATE TABLE TAB1
 (idproptab int IDENTITY (1,1), timstmp timestamp)

CREATE SYNONYM generates the following Master File for this table:

FILE=TAB1, SUFFIX=SQLMSS ,$
SEGNAME=TAB1, SEGTYPE=S0 ,$
FIELD=IDPROPTAB, idproptab, I11, I4,  MISSING=OFF, FIELDTYPE=R ,$
FIELD=TIMSTMP,   timstmp,   A16, A16, MISSING=ON,  FIELDTYPE=R ,$

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