Delimited identifiers

A delimited identifier is a sequence of one or more characters enclosed within escape characters.

The escape character is the quotation mark (")1 except for:

  • Dynamic SQL when the field SQL STRING DELIMITER on installation panel DSNTIPF is set to the quotation mark (") and either of these conditions is true:
    • DYNAMICRULES run behavior applies. For a list of the DYNAMICRULES option values that specify run, bind, define, or invoke behavior, see Authorization IDs and dynamic SQL.
    • DYNAMICRULES bind, define, or invoke behavior applies and installation panel field USE FOR DYNAMIC RULES is YES.
    In this case, the escape character is the apostrophe (').

    However, for COBOL application programs, if DYNAMICRULES run behavior does not apply and installation panel field USE FOR DYNAMICRULES is NO, a COBOL compiler option specifies whether the escape character is the quotation mark or apostrophe.

  • Static SQL in COBOL application programs. A COBOL compiler option specifies whether the escape character is the quotation mark (") or the apostrophe (').

A delimited identifier can be used when the sequence of characters does not qualify as an ordinary identifier. Such a sequence, for example, could be an SQL reserved word, or it could begin with a digit. Two consecutive escape characters are used to represent one escape character within the delimited identifier. A delimited identifier that contains EBCDIC DBCS characters also must contain the necessary shift characters.

Leading and embedded blanks in the sequence are significant. Trailing blanks in the sequence are not significant. The length of a delimited identifier does not include the starting and ending escape characters. Embedded escape characters (that appear as two characters) are counted in the length as a single character.

Example: If the escape character is the quotation mark, the following example is a delimited identifier: 
"VIEW"
1 In CCSID 1026 and CCSID 1155, the code point for the quotation mark can be X'7F' or X'FC'. However, if the beginning delimiter is X'7F', the ending delimiter must also be X'7F'. If the beginning delimiter is X'FC', ending delimiter must also be X'FC'.