Binary storage of variable values using the FOR BIT DATA clause in COBOL embedded SQL applications

You can declare certain database columns using the FOR BIT DATA clause. These columns, which generally contain characters, are used to hold binary information.

The CHAR(n), VARCHAR, LONG VARCHAR, and BLOB data types are the COBOL host variable types that can contain binary data. You must use these data types when working with columns with the FOR BIT DATA attribute.

Note: The LONG VARCHAR data type is deprecated and might be removed in a future release.