The
GRAPHIC function returns a fixed-length graphic string representation
of a variety of input data types.
Integer to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--integer-expression--)---------------------------><
Decimal to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--decimal-expression--+----------------------+--)-><
'-,--decimal-character-'
Floating-point to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--floating-point-expression--+----------------------+--)-><
'-,--decimal-character-'
Decimal floating-point to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--decimal-floating-point-expression--+----------------------+--)-><
'-,--decimal-character-'
Character to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--character-expression--+------------+--)---------><
'-,--integer-'
Graphic to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--graphic-expression--+------------+--)-----------><
'-,--integer-'
Datetime to graphic:
>>-GRAPHIC--(--datetime-expression--+--------------+--)--------><
'-,--+-ISO---+-'
+-USA---+
+-EUR---+
+-JIS---+
'-LOCAL-'
The schema is SYSIBM. The function name cannot be specified
as a qualified name when keywords are used in the function signature.
The GRAPHIC function returns a fixed-length graphic string
representation of:
- An integer number (Unicode database only), if
the first argument is a SMALLINT, INTEGER, or BIGINT
- A decimal number (Unicode database only), if
the first argument is a decimal number
- A double-precision floating-point number (Unicode
database only), if the first argument is a DOUBLE or REAL
- A decimal floating-point number (Unicode database
only), if the argument is a decimal floating-point number (DECFLOAT)
- A
character string, if the first argument is any type of character string
- A graphic string, if the first argument is any type of graphic
string
- A datetime value (Unicode database only), if the first argument
is a DATE, TIME, or TIMESTAMP
In a non-Unicode database, the
string units of the result is double bytes. Otherwise, the string
units of the result are determined by the data type of the first argument.
- CODEUNITS16, if the first argument is character string or a graphic
string with string units of OCTETS or CODEUNITS16.
- CODEUNITS32, if the first argument is character string or a graphic
string with string units of CODEUNITS32.
- Determined by the default string unit of the environment, if the
first argument is not a character string or a graphic string.
The result of the function is a fixed-length graphic string.
If the first argument can be null, the result can be null; if the
first argument is null, the result is the null value.
- Integer to graphic
- integer-expression
- An expression that returns a value that is of an integer data
type (SMALLINT, INTEGER, or BIGINT).
The result is a fixed-length graphic string representation
of
integer-expression in the form of an
SQL integer constant. The result consists of
n double-byte
characters, which represent the significant digits in the argument,
and is preceded by a minus sign if the argument is negative. The result
is left-aligned.
- If the first argument is a small integer, the length of the result
is 6.
- If the first argument is a large integer, the length of the result
is 11.
- If the first argument is a big integer, the length of the result
is 20.
If the number of double-byte characters in the result is less
than the defined length of the result, the result is
padded on the right with blanks.
The
code page of the result is the DBCS code
page of the section.
- Decimal to graphic
- decimal-expression
- An expression that returns a value that is a decimal data type.
The DECIMAL scalar function can be used to change the precision and
scale.
- decimal-character
- Specifies the double-byte character constant that is used to delimit
the decimal digits in the result graphic string. The double-byte character
constant cannot be a digit, the plus sign (+), the minus sign (-),
or a blank (SQLSTATE 42815). The default is the period (.) character.
The result is a fixed-length graphic string representation
of decimal-expression in the form of an
SQL decimal constant. The length of the result is 2+p, where p is
the precision of decimal-expression. Leading
zeros are not included. Trailing zeros are included. If decimal-expression is
negative, the first double-byte character of the result is a minus
sign; otherwise, the first double-byte character is a digit or the
decimal character. If the scale of decimal-expression is
zero, the decimal character is not returned. If the number of double-byte
characters in the result is less than the defined length of the result,
the result is padded on the right with blanks.
The
code page of the result is the DBCS code
page of the section.
- Floating-point to graphic
- floating-point-expression
- An expression that returns a value that is a floating-point data
type (DOUBLE or REAL).
- decimal-character
- Specifies the double-byte character constant that is used to delimit
the decimal digits in the result graphic string. The double-byte character
constant cannot be a digit, the plus sign (+), the minus sign (-),
or a blank (SQLSTATE 42815). The default is the period (.) character.
The result is a fixed-length graphic string representation
of floating-point-expression in the form
of an SQL floating-point constant. The length of the result is 24.
The result is the smallest number of double-byte characters that can
represent the value of floating-point-expression such
that the mantissa consists of a single digit other than zero followed
by a period and a sequence of digits. If floating-point-expression is
negative, the first double-byte character of the result is a minus
sign; otherwise, the first double-byte character is a digit. If floating-point-expression is
zero, the result is 0E0. If the number of double-byte characters in
the result is less than 24, the result is padded
on the right with blanks.
The code page of the result is
the DBCS code page of the section.
- Decimal floating-point to graphic
- decimal-floating-point-expression
- An expression that returns a value that is a decimal floating-point
data type (DECFLOAT).
- decimal-character
- Specifies the double-byte character constant that is used to delimit
the decimal digits in the result graphic string. The double-byte character
constant cannot be a digit, the plus sign (+), the minus sign (-),
or a blank (SQLSTATE 42815). The default is the period (.) character.
The result is a fixed-length graphic string representation
of decimal-floating-point-expression in
the form of an SQL decimal floating-point constant. The length attribute
of the result is 42. The result is the smallest number of double-byte
characters that can represent the value of decimal-floating-point-expression.
If decimal-floating-point-expression is
negative, the first double-byte character of the result is a minus
sign; otherwise, the first double-byte character is a digit. If decimal-floating-point-expression is
zero, the result is 0.
If the value of decimal-floating-point-expression is
the special value Infinity, sNaN, or NaN, the strings G'INFINITY',
G'SNAN', and G'NAN', respectively, are returned. If the special value
is negative, the first double-byte character of the result is a minus
sign. The decimal floating-point special value sNaN does not result
in a warning when converted to a string. If the number of double-byte
characters in the result is less than 42, the result is padded on the right with blanks.
The
code page of the result is the DBCS code
page of the section.
- Character to graphic
- In Unicode databases:
- character-expression
- An
expression that returns a value that is a built-in character string
data type. The expression must not be a FOR BIT DATA subtype (SQLSTATE
42846).
- integer
- An integer constant that specifies the length attribute for the
resulting fixed-length graphic string. The value must be between 0
and the maximum length for the GRAPHIC
data type in the string units of the result.
If the second
argument is not specified:
- If the character-expression is the empty
string constant, the length attribute of the result is 0.
- Otherwise, the length
attribute of the result is the lower of the following values:
- The maximum length for the GRAPHIC data
type in the string units of the result
- The length attribute of the first argument
The result is a fixed-length graphic string that
is converted from character-expression.
The length attribute of the result is determined by the value of integer.
The
actual length of the result is the same as the length attribute of
the result.
If the length of
character-expression that is converted to
a graphic string is less than the length attribute of the result,
the result is padded with blanks up to the length attribute of the result.
If
the length of
character-expression that is converted to
a graphic string is greater than the length attribute of the result,
several scenarios exist:
- If the string unit of the result is CODEUNITS32, truncation is performed.
If only blank characters are truncated and character-expression is
CHAR or VARCHAR, no warning is returned. Otherwise, a warning is returned
(SQLSTATE 01004).
- If integer is specified, truncation
is performed. If only blank characters are truncated and character-expression is
CHAR or VARCHAR, no warning is returned. Otherwise, a warning is returned
(SQLSTATE 01004). When the output string is truncated, such that the
last character is a high surrogate, that surrogate is converted to
the blank character (X'0020'). Do not rely on this behavior because
it might change in a future release.
- If integer is not specified, an error
is returned (SQLSTATE 22001).
For details about the conversion process, see VARGRAPHIC scalar function.
- In non-Unicode databases:
- character-expression
- An expression that returns a value that is a built-in CHAR or
VARCHAR data type.
The result is a fixed-length graphic string that
is converted from character-expression.
The length attribute of the result is the minimum of the length attribute
of character-expression and the maximum
length for the GRAPHIC data type.
The actual length of the result
is the same as the length attribute of the result. If the length of
character-expression that is converted to
a graphic string is less than the length attribute of the result,
the result is padded with blanks up to the length attribute of the result.
If the length of
character-expression that is converted to
a graphic string is greater than the length attribute of the result,
an error is returned (SQLSTATE 22001).
For details about the
conversion process, see VARGRAPHIC scalar function.
- Graphic to graphic
- graphic-expression
- An expression that returns a built-in value that is a graphic
string data type.
- integer
- An
integer constant that specifies the length attribute for the resulting
fixed-length graphic string. The value must be between 0 and the maximum length for the GRAPHIC data type
in the string units of the result.
If the second argument is
not specified:
- If the graphic-expression is the empty
string constant, the length attribute of the result is 0.
- Otherwise, the length
attribute of the result is the lower of the following values:
- The maximum length for the GRAPHIC data
type in the string units of the result
- The length attribute of the first argument
The result is a fixed-length graphic string.
The length attribute of the result is determined by the value of integer.
The
actual length of the result is the same as the length attribute of
the result.
If the length of
graphic-expression is less than the length
attribute of the result, the result is padded with blanks up to the
length attribute of the result.
If the length of
graphic-expression is
greater than the length attribute of the result, several scenarios
exist:
- If the string unit of the result is CODEUNITS32, truncation is performed.
If only blank characters are truncated and graphic-expression is
GRAPHIC or VARGRAPHIC, no warning is returned. Otherwise, a warning
is returned (SQLSTATE 01004).
- If integer is specified, truncation
is performed. If only blank characters are truncated and graphic-expression is
GRAPHIC or VARGRAPHIC, no warning is returned. Otherwise, a warning
is returned (SQLSTATE 01004). In a Unicode database, when the output
string is truncated, such that the last character is a high surrogate,
that surrogate is converted to the blank character (X'0020'). Do not
rely on this behavior because it might change in a future release.
- If integer is not specified and graphic-expression is
VARGRAPHIC, truncation behavior is as follows:
- If only blank characters must be truncated, truncation is performed
with no warning returned.
- If non-blank characters must be truncated, an error is returned
(SQLSTATE 22001).
- If integer is not specified and graphic-expression is
DBCLOB, an error is returned (SQLSTATE 22001).
- Datetime to graphic
-
- datetime-expression
- An expression that is of one of the following data types:
- DATE
- The result is the graphic string representation of the date in
the format specified by the second argument. The length of the result
is 10. An error is returned if the second argument is specified and
is not a valid value (SQLSTATE 42703).
- TIME
- The result is the graphic string representation of the time in
the format specified by the second argument. The length of the result
is 8. An error is returned if the second argument is specified and
is not a valid value (SQLSTATE 42703).
- TIMESTAMP
- The result is the graphic string representation of the timestamp. If the
data type of datetime-expression is TIMESTAMP(0),
the length of the result is 19. If the data type of datetime-expression is
TIMESTAMP(n), where n is between 1 and 12, the length
of the result is 20+n. Otherwise, the length of the result
is 26.
The code page of the string is the code page of
the section.
Notes
- Increasing portability of applications: The CAST specification
should be used to increase the portability of applications when the
first argument is numeric, or if the first argument is a string and
the length argument is specified.
Examples
- Example 1: The EDLEVEL column is defined as SMALLINT. The
following returns the value as a fixed-length graphic string.
SELECT GRAPHIC(EDLEVEL)
FROM EMPLOYEE
WHERE LASTNAME = 'HAAS'
Results in the value
G'18 '.
- Example 2: The SALARY and COMM columns are defined as DECIMAL
with a precision of 9 and a scale of 2. Return the total income for
employee Haas using the comma decimal character.
SELECT GRAPHIC(SALARY + COMM, ',')
FROM EMPLOYEE
WHERE LASTNAME = 'HAAS'
Results in the value
G'56970,00 '.