Sender: tgl@mythos.jpl.nasa.gov
Message-ID: <36DAC925.99702276@alumni.caltech.edu>
Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999 17:06:45 +0000
From: "Thomas G. Lockhart" <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu>
Organization: Caltech/JPL
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Michael Meskes <Michael_Meskes@topmail.de>
CC: PostgreSQL Interfaces <pgsql-interfaces@postgreSQL.org>
Subject: Re: [INTERFACES] SQLDA
References: <19990223204537.A246@gmx.net>
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> Is there a standard about the SQL descriptor array as used by Oracle? 
> Or is there a standard for something similar?

SQL92 has a standard for SQLDAs, though they are not called that in the
standard. "A Guide to the SQL Standard" by Date and Darwen discusses the
SQL92 version of SQLDAs, and points out that:

"... several SQL products do already support some kind of SQLDA, and
even refer to it by that name, but those SQLDAs are typically not the
same as the 'SQLDA' defined in the standard. In particular, the standard
SQLDA is encapsulated (meaning that its internal structure is not
specified in the standard and is thus a fortiori hidden from the user),
whereas the same is typically not true of the SQLDAs in current
products."

They also point out that the standard includes facilities for allocating
SQL DA storage and provides mechanisms for moving data in and out of SQL
DAs.

Hope this helps.

                    - Tom