Question about DBI::Informix

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Ralf Heydenreich wrote: > > Hi, > How can I get some docs about using the DBI-Interface? My question > aims to error messages from this library. Everytime I call > "$dbh->do(q{UNLOAD TO 'myfile' SELECT * from mytable});" I get the > error message "DBD::Informix::db do failed: SQL: -201: A syntax error > has occurred. at ./test.pl line 17.". Where can I get any explanation > of the error codes? > Or it is not possible to make such a statement? Is there a list which > command I can use and which not? man DBI for general DBI info man DBD::Informix for Informix specifics There's also a very useful page (with a difficult name) : man DBD::DBD::Informix::Summary (all this, assuming you have been adding the manpages to the MANPATH). You can write an unload format file as follows : $sth=$dbh->prepare("select * from mytable"); $sth->execute(); $"='|'; while (($ref=$sth->fetch)) { print "@{$ref}|\\n"; } I believe that UNLOAD is a keyword of the dbaccess or sqlcmd or dbunload tools, not of the server, so you can't send unload to the engine. Note that the above is unload format (note the '|' before the newline). Also you'll notice the trailing spaces for char() fields ... There is a DBI option "ChopBlanks" for that. $sth->{ChopBlanks}=1; if you want to get rid of the spaces. -- David Stes Molenstraat 5 B-2018 Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgie Tel +32 3 237 43 54 Fax +32 3 237 40 76 Email stes@pandora.be

Thanks for an accurate response, David. David Stes wrote: > Ralf Heydenreich wrote: > > How can I get some docs about using the DBI-Interface? My question > > aims to error messages from this library. Everytime I call > > "$dbh->do(q{UNLOAD TO 'myfile' SELECT * from mytable});" I get the > > error message "DBD::Informix::db do failed: SQL: -201: A syntax error > > has occurred. at ./test.pl line 17.". Where can I get any explanation > > of the error codes? > > Or it is not possible to make such a statement? Is there a list which > > command I can use and which not? > > man DBI for general DBI info > man DBD::Informix for Informix specifics Also 'perldoc DBI', 'perldoc DBD::Informix', etc. > There's also a very useful page (with a difficult name) : > > man DBD::DBD::Informix::Summary Should only be 'perldoc DBD::Informix::Summary'. > (all this, assuming you have been adding the manpages to the MANPATH). > > You can write an unload format file as follows : > > $sth=$dbh->prepare("select * from mytable"); > $sth->execute(); > $"='|'; > while (($ref=$sth->fetch)) { > print "@{$ref}|\\n"; > } That works until the delimiter appears in one of the fields. Then you have to deal with escaping it. That's painful, I can assure you. > I believe that UNLOAD is a keyword of the dbaccess or sqlcmd or dbunload > tools, not of the server, so you can't send unload to the engine. That's correct; the same for LOAD. > [...] Also, don't forget the Cheetah book - 'Programming the Perl DBI' from O'Reilly. -- Yours, Jonathan Leffler (Jonathan.Leffler@Informix.com) #include <disclaimer.h> Guardian of DBD::Informix v1.00.PC1 -- http://www.perl.com/CPAN "I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!"