Flexible SQL

The so-called "Flexible SQL", which is a further possibility of issuing SQL statements, enables you to use arbitrary SQL syntax.

This document covers the following topics:

Using Flexible SQL

In addition to the SQL syntax described in the previous sections, flexible SQL enables you to use arbitrary SQL syntax.

Characters << and >>

Flexible SQL is enclosed in << and >> characters. It can include arbitrary SQL text and host variables. Within flexible SQL, host variables must be prefixed by a colon (:).

The flexible SQL string can cover several statement lines. Comments are possible, too (see also the statement PROCESS SQL).

Flexible SQL can be used as a replacement for any of the following syntactical SQL items:

Flexible SQL can also be used between the clauses of a select expression: 

SELECT selection   
  << ... >> 
  INTO ... 
  FROM ... 
  << ... >> 
  WHERE ... 
  << ... >> 
  GROUP BY ... 
  << ... >> 
  HAVING ... 
  << ... >> 
  ORDER BY ... 
  << ... >>

Note:
The SQL text used in flexible SQL is not recognized by the Natural compiler. The SQL text (with replaced host variables) is simply copied into the SQL string passed to the database system. Syntax errors in flexible SQL are detected at runtime when the database executes the corresponding statement.

Example 1

SELECT NAME 
FROM SQL-EMPLOYEES 
WHERE << MONTH (BIRTH) >>  =  << MONTH (CURRENT_DATE) >>

Example 2:

SELECT NAME 
FROM SQL-EMPLOYEES 
WHERE << MONTH (BIRTH) = MONTH (CURRENT_DATE) >>

Example 3:

SELECT NAME 
FROM SQL-EMPLOYEES 
WHERE SALARY > 50000 
<< INTERSECT 
   SELECT NAME 
   FROM SQL-EMPLOYEES 
   WHERE DEPT = 'DEPT10'  
>>

Specifying Text Variables in Flexible SQL

Within flexible SQL, you can also specify so-called "text variables".

<<:T:host-variable [LINDICATOR:host-variable]>>

The syntax items are described below:

:T:

A text variable is a host-variable prefixed by :T:. It must be in alphanumeric format.

At runtime, a text variable within an SQL statement will be replaced by its contents that is, the text string contained in the text variable will be inserted into the SQL string.

After the replacement, trailing blanks will be removed from the inserted text string.

You have to make sure yourself that the content of a text variable results in a syntactically correct SQL string. In particular, the content of a text variable must not contain host-variables.

A statement containing a text variable will always be executed in dynamic SQL mode.

LINDICATOR
LINDICATOR Option:

The text variable can be followed by the keyword LINDICATOR and a length indicator variable (that is, a host-variable prefixed by colon).

The length indicator variable has to be of format/length I2.

If no LINDICATOR variable is specified, the entire content of the text variable will be inserted into the SQL string.

If you specify a LINDICATOR variable, only the first n characters (n being the value of the LINDICATOR variable) of the text variable content will be inserted into the SQL string. If the number in the LINDICATOR variable is greater than the length of the text variable content, the entire text variable content will be inserted. If the number in the LINDICATOR variable is negative or 0, nothing will be inserted.

See general information on host-variable.

Example Using Text Variable

DEFINE DATA LOCAL 
   01 TEXTVAR (A200) 
   01 TABLES VIEW OF SYSIBM-SYSTABLES 
      02 NAME 
      02 CREATOR 
   END-DEFINE 
   * 
   MOVE 'WHERE NAME > ''SYS'' AND CREATOR = ''SYSIBM''' TO TEXTVAR  
   * 
   SELECT * INTO VIEW TABLES 
     FROM SYSIBM-SYSTABLES 
     << :T:TEXTVAR >> 
     DISPLAY TABLES 
   END-SELECT 
   * 
   END

The generated SQL statement will look as follows:

SELECT NAME, CREATOR FROM SYSIBM.SYSTABLES:T: FOR FETCH ONLY

The executed SQL statement will look as follows:

SELECT TABNAME, CREATOR FROM SYSIBM.SYSTABLES  
  WHERE TABNAME > 'SYS' AND CREATOR = 'SYSIBM'