Creating an array data type (CREATE TYPE statement)

Creating an array data type is a task that you would perform as a prerequisite to creating a variable of the array data type.

Before you begin

Before you create an array data type, ensure that you have the privileges required to execute the CREATE TYPE statement.

Array data types can only be created in SQL PL contexts where execution of the CREATE TYPE statement is supported.

Restrictions

See: Restrictions on the array data type

Define the CREATE TYPE statement
1. Specify a name for the array data type.
2. Specify the AS keyword followed by the keyword name for the data type of the array element. For example, INTEGER, VARCHAR.
3. Specify the ARRAY keyword and the domain of the subindices in the array. For example, if you specify 100, the valid indices will be from 1 to 100.
  This number is the same as the cardinality of the array - the number of elements in the array.
Execute the CREATE TYPE statement from a supported interface.

The CREATE type statement should execute successfully and the array type should be created.

Example 1:

  
	CREATE TYPE simpleArray AS INTEGER ARRAY[100];

This array data type can contain up to 100 integer values indexed by integer values ranging from 1 to 100.
Example 2:

	
	CREATE TYPE id_Phone AS VARCHAR(20) ARRAY[100];

This array data type can contain up to 100 phone values stored as VARCHAR(20) data type values indexed by integer values ranging from 1 to 100.

After creating the array data type you can declare an array variable.