DB2 10.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

Supported SQL data types in COBOL embedded SQL applications

Certain predefined COBOL data types correspond to DB2® database column types. You can use only these COBOL data types as host variables.

The following table shows the COBOL equivalent of each column type. When the precompiler finds a host variable declaration, it determines the appropriate SQL type value. The database manager uses this value to convert the data exchanged between the application and itself.

Not every possible data description for host variables is recognized. COBOL data items must be consistent with the ones described in the following table. If you use other data items, an error can result.

Table 1. SQL Data Types Mapped to COBOL Declarations
SQL Column Type1 COBOL Data Type SQL Column Type Description

SMALLINT
(500 or 501)

01 name PIC S9(4) COMP-5. 16-bit signed integer

INTEGER
(496 or 497)

01 name PIC S9(9) COMP-5. 32-bit signed integer

BIGINT
(492 or 493)

01 name PIC S9(18) COMP-5. 64-bit signed integer

DECIMAL(p,s)
(484 or 485)

01 name PIC S9(m)V9(n) COMP-3. Packed decimal

REAL2
(480 or 481)

01 name USAGE IS COMP-1. Single-precision floating point

DOUBLE3
(480 or 481)

01 name USAGE IS COMP-2. Double-precision floating point

CHAR(n)
(452 or 453)

01 name PIC X(n). Fixed-length character string

VARCHAR(n)
(448 or 449)

01 name.
49 length PIC S9(4) COMP-5.
49 name PIC X(n).
 
1<=n<=32 672

 Variable-length character string

LONG VARCHAR6
(456 or 457)

01 name.
49 length PIC S9(4) COMP-5.
49 data PIC X(n).
 
32 673<=n<=32 700

Long variable-length character string

CLOB(n)
(408 or 409)

01 MY-CLOB USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS CLOB(n).
 
1<=n<=2 147 483 647

Large object variable-length character string

CLOB locator variable4
(964 or 965)

01 MY-CLOB-LOCATOR USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS CLOB-LOCATOR. Identifies CLOB entities residing on the server

CLOB file reference variable4
(920 or 921)

01 MY-CLOB-FILE USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS CLOB-FILE. Descriptor for file containing CLOB data

BLOB(n)
(404 or 405)

01 MY-BLOB USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS BLOB(n).

 
1<=n<=2 147 483 647

Large object variable-length binary string

BLOB locator variable4
(960 or 961)

01 MY-BLOB-LOCATOR USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS BLOB-LOCATOR. Identifies BLOB entities residing on the server

BLOB file reference variable4
(916 or 917)

01 MY-BLOB-FILE USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS BLOB-FILE. Descriptor for file containing BLOB data

DATE
(384 or 385)

01 identifier PIC X(10). 10-byte character string

TIME
(388 or 389)

01 identifier PIC X(8). 8-byte character string

TIMESTAMP(p)
(392 or 393)

01 identifier PIC X(p+20).

0<=p<=12

 19 to 32 byte character string

A 19 byte character string can be used, when p is 0.

XML5
(988 or 989)

01 name USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS XML
AS CLOB (size).

 XML value

The following data types are only available in the DBCS environment.

Table 2. SQL Data Types Mapped to COBOL Declarations
SQL Column Type1 COBOL Data Type SQL Column Type Description

GRAPHIC(n)
(468 or 469)

01 name PIC G(n) DISPLAY-1. Fixed-length double-byte character string

VARGRAPHIC(n)
(464 or 465)

01 name.
49 length PIC S9(4) COMP-5.
49 name PIC G(n) DISPLAY-1.
 
1<=n<=16 336

 Variable length double-byte character string with 2-byte string length indicator

LONG VARGRAPHIC6
(472 or 473)

01 name.
49 length PIC S9(4) COMP-5.
49 name PIC G(n) DISPLAY-1.
 
16 337<=n<=16 350

 Variable length double-byte character string with 2-byte string length indicator

DBCLOB(n)
(412 or 413)

01 MY-DBCLOB USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS DBCLOB(n).

 
1<=n<=1 073 741 823

Large object variable-length double-byte character string with 4-byte string length indicator

DBCLOB locator variable4
(968 or 969)

01 MY-DBCLOB-LOCATOR USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS DBCLOB-LOCATOR. Identifies DBCLOB entities residing on the server

DBCLOB file reference  
variable4
(924 or 925)

01 MY-DBCLOB-FILE USAGE IS SQL TYPE IS DBCLOB-FILE. Descriptor for file containing DBCLOB data
Note:
  1. The first number under SQL Column Type indicates that an indicator variable is not provided, and the second number indicates that an indicator variable is provided. An indicator variable is needed to indicate NULL values, or to hold the length of a truncated string. These are the values that will be displayed in the SQLTYPE field of the SQLDA for these data types.
  2. FLOAT(n) where 0 < n < 25 is a synonym for REAL. The difference between REAL and DOUBLE in the SQLDA is the length value (4 or 8).
  3. The following SQL types are synonyms for DOUBLE:
    • FLOAT
    • FLOAT(n) where 24 < n < 54 is a synonym for DOUBLE.
    • DOUBLE PRECISION
  4. This is not a column type but a host variable type.
  5. The SQL_TYP_XML/SQL_TYP_NXML value is returned by DESCRIBE requests only. It cannot be used directly by the application to bind application resources to XML values.
  6. The LONG VARCHAR and LONG VARGRAPHIC data types are deprecated and might be removed in a future release. Choose the CLOB or DBCLOB data type instead.
The list of rules for supported COBOL data types are:
  • PIC S9 and COMP-3/COMP-5 are required where shown.
  • You can use level number 77 instead of 01 for all column types except VARCHAR, LONG VARCHAR, VARGRAPHIC, LONG VARGRAPHIC and all LOB variable types.
  • Use the following rules when declaring host variables for DECIMAL(p,s) column types. See the following sample: 
        01 identifier PIC S9(m)V9(n) COMP-3
    • Use V to denote the decimal point.
    • Values for n and m must be greater than or equal to 1.
    • The value for n + m cannot exceed 31.
    • The value for s equals the value for n.
    • The value for p equals the value for n + m.
    • The repetition factors (n) and (m) are optional. The following examples are all valid: 
          01 identifier PIC S9(3)V COMP-3 
    01 identifier PIC SV9(3) COMP-3 
    01 identifier PIC S9V COMP-3 
    01 identifier PIC SV9 COMP-3
    • PACKED-DECIMAL can be used instead of COMP-3.
  • Arrays are not supported by the COBOL precompiler.
Related reference:
COBOL samples