Standard SQL data types

View the values for the precision, scale, length, and display size for standard HCL Informix® ODBC Driver SQL data types.

The following table describes the precision, scale, length, and display size for the standard HCL Informix ODBC Driver SQL data types.

Informix ODBC driver sql data type (fSqlType)	Description
SQL_BIGINT	Precision 19. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale 0. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 8 bytes Display size 20 digits. One digit is for the sign.
SQL_BIT	Precision 1. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale 0. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 1 byte Display size 1 digit
SQL_CHAR	Precision Same as the length Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length The specified length. For example, the length of CHAR(10) is 10 bytes. Display size Same as the length.
SQL_DATE	Precision 10. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 6 bytes Display size 10 digits in the format `yyyy-mm-dd`.
SQL_DECIMAL	Precision The specified precision. For example, the precision of DECIMAL (12, 3) is 12. Scale The specified scale. For example, the scale of DECIMAL(12, 3) is 3. Length The specified precision plus 2. For example, the length of DECIMAL(12, 3) is 14 bytes. The two additional bytes are used for the sign and the decimal points because functions return this data type as a character string. Display size Same as the length.
SQL_DOUBLE	Precision 15. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 8 bytes Display size 22 digits. The digits are for a sign, 15 numeric characters, a decimal point, the letter E, another sign, and 2 more numeric characters.
SQL_INTEGER	Precision 10. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale 0. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 4 bytes Display size 11 digits. One digit is for the sign.
SQL_LONGVARBINARY	Precision Same as the length. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length The maximum length. If a function cannot determine the maximum length, it returns SQL_NO_TOTAL. Display size The maximum length times 2. If a function cannot determine the maximum length, it returns SQL_NO_TOTAL.
SQL_LONGVARCHAR	Precision Same as the length. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length The maximum length. If a function cannot determine the maximum length, it returns SQL_NO_TOTAL. Display size Same as the length.
SQL_REAL	Precision 7. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 4 bytes Display size 13 digits. The digits are for a sign, 7 numeric characters, a decimal point, the letter E, another sign, and 2 more numeric characters.
SQL_SMALLINT	Precision 5. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale 0. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length 2 bytes Display size 6 digits. One digit is for the sign.
SQL_TIMESTAMP	Precision 8. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of cbColDef for this data type. Scale The number of digits in the FRACTION field. Length 16 bytes Display size 19 or more digits: If the scale of the time stamp is 0: 19 digits in the format `yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss`. If the scale of the time stamp exceeds 0: 20 digits plus digits for the FRACTION field in the format `yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.f...`
SQL_VARCHAR	Precision Same as the length. Scale Not applicable. SQLBindParameter ignores the value of ibScale for this data type. Length The specified length. For example, the length of VARCHAR(10) is 10 bytes. Display size Same as the length.