Declaring host variables and indicator variables

You can use host variables and indicator variables in SQL statements in your program to pass data between DB2® and your application.

Procedure

To declare host variables, host variable arrays, and host structures:

Use the techniques that are appropriate for the programming language that you use.

Host variables
Use host variables to pass a single data item between DB2 and your application.
Host variable arrays
Use host variable arrays to pass a data array between DB2 and your application.
Host structures
Use host structures to pass a group of host variables between DB2 and your application.
Indicator variables, arrays, and structures
An indicator variable is associated with a particular host variable. Each indicator variable contains a small integer value that indicates some information about the associated host variable. Indicator arrays and structures serve the same purpose for host variable arrays and structures.
Setting the CCSID for host variables
All DB2 string data, other than binary data, has an encoding scheme and a coded character set ID (CCSID) associated with it. You can associate an encoding scheme and a CCSID with individual host variables. Any data in those host variable is then associated with that encoding scheme and CCSID.
Determining what caused an error when retrieving data into a host variable
Errors that occur when DB2 passes data to host variables in an application are usually caused by a problem in converting from one data type to another. These errors do not affect the position of the cursor.

Parent topic: Overview of programming applications that access DB2 for z/OS data

Related reference: