Hallo!

I need to convert the values of a varchar (..) for bit data column to a
string which can be stored in a normal varchar column (with additional
information).

Is there a function in db2 which supports this?
I think it must be possible to convert it in base64 format.
Of course I also need a function for the opposite direction.

Where can I find information how to do it?

Thanks
andreas

alederer schrieb:
[color=blue]
> Hallo!
>
> I need to convert the values of a varchar (..) for bit data column to a
> string which can be stored in a normal varchar column (with additional
> information).
>
> Is there a function in db2 which supports this?
> I think it must be possible to convert it in base64 format.
> Of course I also need a function for the opposite direction.
>
> Where can I find information how to do it?
>[/color]

ok, I have found one solution:
use HEX(column) to get the hex representation of the value.
Then I can use this representation with x'HEXVALUE' to insert it again
into a for bit data column.

My problem:
Where can I find the information that a column is for bit data?
I have nothing found in syscat.columns!

How can I retrieve this information?

thanks
andreas

In DB2 UDB V8 try:
CAST (<forbitdataexpression> AS [VARCHAR|CHAR][(<n>)] FOR [SBCS|DBCS] DATA)

Use SBCS in a single byte database, DBCS in a Unicode Database

Cheers
Serge
--
Serge Rielau
DB2 SQL Compiler Development
IBM Toronto Lab

alederer wrote:
[color=blue]
> My problem:
> Where can I find the information that a column is for bit data?
> I have nothing found in syscat.columns![/color]

It is in SYSCAT.COLUMNS, in the CODEPAGE column.

The codepage for a string column that is defined with the FOR BIT DATA
clause is 0, whereas it is the actual database code page for all other
string columns:

$ db2 "create table t ( a char(2) for bit data, b char(2) )"
$ db2 "select colname, codepage from syscat.columns where tabname = 'T'"

COLNAME CODEPAGE
----------------------------------- --------
A 0
B 819

2 record(s) selected.

--
Knut Stolze
Information Integration
IBM Germany / University of Jena

Minor revision:
In DB2 UDB V8 try:
CAST (<forbitdataexpression> AS [VARCHAR|CHAR][(<n>)] FOR [SBCS|MIXED] DATA)

Use SBCS in a single byte database, MIXED in a Unicode Database

Cheers
Serge


--
Serge Rielau
DB2 SQL Compiler Development
IBM Toronto Lab