Processing special data types

Most data types, such as INTEGER and CHARACTER, do not have any special processing characteristics. However, a few data types require special functions or locators to use them effectively.

Large objects
A large object (LOB) is a string data type with a size ranging from 0 bytes to 2 GB (GB equals 1 073 741 824 bytes).
User-defined distinct types
A user-defined distinct type (UDT) is a mechanism to extend DB2 capabilities beyond the built-in data types that are available.
Examples: Using UDTs, UDFs, and LOBs
These examples show how to use user-defined types (UDTs), user-defined functions (UDFs), and large objects (LOBs) together in complex applications.
Using DataLinks
The DataLink data type is one of the basic building blocks for extending the types of data that can be stored in database files. The idea of a DataLink is that the actual data stored in the column is only a pointer to the object.

Parent topic: SQL programming