SQL Reference

VARCHAR

Character to Varchar: >>-VARCHAR--(--character-string-expression----+-------------+---> '-,--integer--' >----)--------------------------------------------------------->< Datetime to Varchar: >>-VARCHAR--(--datetime-expression--)--------------------------><

The schema is SYSIBM.

The VARCHAR function returns a varying-length character string representation of a character string or datetime value.

The result of the function is a varying-length string (VARCHAR data type). If the first argument can be null, the result can be null; if the first argument is null, the result is the null value.

Character to Varchar

character-string-expression

An expression whose value must be of a character-string data type with a maximum length no greater than 4 000 bytes.

integer

The length attribute for the resulting varying-length character string. The value must be between 0 and 4 000. If this argument is not specified, the length of the result is the same as the length of the argument.

Datetime to Varchar

datetime-expression

An expression whose value must be of a date, time, or timestamp data type.

Example:

• Using the EMPLOYEE table, set the host variable JOB_DESC (varchar(8)) to the VARCHAR equivalent of the job description (JOB defined as CHAR(8)) for employee Delores Quintana.

    SELECT VARCHAR(JOB)
      INTO :JOB_DESC
      FROM EMPLOYEE
      WHERE LASTNAME = 'QUINTANA'
  

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