OraDefine Function

Action

Defines an output variable for a specified select-list item in a SQL query. In a BDL script, it is necessary to call this function for each select-list item of a SQL query. After the OraExec (and OraFetch) function has been called, the following functions can be used to retrieve the value of the program variable that is defined for the specified select-list item:

  • OraGetFloat
  • OraGetInt
  • OraGetString
  • OraGetValue

Include file

Ora.bdh

Syntax

OraDefine( in cCursor     : cursor,
           in nPosition   : number,
           in nDatatype   : number optional,
           in nSize       : number optional,
           in nMaxColSize : number optional,
           in nDefineType : number optional,
           in nPieces     : number optional): boolean;

Return value

  • true if successful

  • false otherwise. In this case, you can use the OraOciError function to retrieve the Oracle OCI error code

Parameter Description
cCursor Cursor associated with a database connection
nPosition Index of the select-list item in the SQL query. Position indices start at 1 for the first (leftmost) select-list item
nDatatype

Oracle external data type of the select-list item (optional). See Oracle data types for a list of Oracle data types.

The default value is SQLT_STR (null-terminated string)

nSize

Length of the select-list item in bytes (optional).

This parameter should be omitted or set to 0 for data types of fixed length (SQLT_NUM, SQLT_INT, SQLT_FLT, SQLT_VNU, SQLT_RID, SQLT_DAT, SQLT_UIN, SQLT_CUR)

nMaxColSize Maximum possible size of the select-list item in bytes (optional). This parameter has to be specified whenever the select-list item is retrieved in multiple pieces
nDefineType

Special select-list option (optional). Possible options are:

  • ORA_PIECEWISE. The select-list item is retrieved in multiple pieces using the OCI ogetpi/osetpi functions

  • ORA_FETCHLONG. The select-list item has to be retrieved from a long column using the OCI oflng function

nPieces Number of pieces (optional). Whenever nDefineType is set to ORA_FETCHLONG, this parameter can be used to specify the number of pieces

Example

var
  hConnection : number;
  cCursor : cursor;
dcltrans
  transaction TMain
  var
    sName : string;
    nFetched, nAge, i : number;
  begin
    OraLogon(hConnection, "user", "password", "orclnet2");
    OraOpen(cCursor, hConnection);
    OraParse(cCursor, sqlSelect);
    OraDefine(cCursor, 1, SQLT_CHR, 32);
    OraDefine(cCursor, 2, SQLT_INT);
    OraExec(cCursor, 1, 50, 0, 0, nFetched);
    for i := 1 to nFetched do
      sName := OraGetString(cCursor, "1", i);
      nAge := OraGetInt(cCursor, "2", i);
      write(sName, 32);  write(nAge, 5); writeln;
    end;
    OraClose(cCursor);
    OraLogoff(hConnection);
  end TMain;

 dclsql
  sqlSelect:
    SELECT * FROM persons;

Output

Howard 33Michael 44Bobby 61Sara 38

Sample scripts

OraArrayFetch.bdf, OraSample.bdf

See also

Oracle's Programmer's Guide to Oracle Call Interface for Wrapped Oracle function: odefin, odefinps