column length ?

I've probably run across the answer to this in the past, getting old and don't remember ... anyway if you define a column as ... create table table_1 ( col_1 decimal(15,0)) the value in the syscolumns for the length is 3840, however if you define the column as .. create table table_1 (col_1 decimal(15)) the length is stored as 4095 Can someone refresh my memory as to why? Thanks in advance. Peter

The syscolumns.collen column encodes the precision of the column as well as the actual length. DECIMAL(15,0) is fixed precision, 15 digits to the left of the decimal, none to the right while DECIMAL(15) is floating point precision of 15 digits total. The encoding is different. See the headers in $INFORMIXDIR/incl/esql, specifically sqltypes.h, decimal.h, & datetime.h for macros to decode syscolumns.collen column. Art S. Kagel ----- Original Message ----- From: Peter_logan.... <ids@iiug.org> At: 2/27 14:24 I've probably run across the answer to this in the past, getting old and don't remember ... anyway if you define a column as ... create table table_1 ( col_1 decimal(15,0)) the value in the syscolumns for the length is 3840, however if you define the column as .. create table table_1 (col_1 decimal(15)) the length is stored as 4095 Can someone refresh my memory as to why? Thanks in advance. Peter ******************************************************************************* Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum.

Pass collength into this function (for decimal use tp=0) and it will convert for you. FUNCTION fix_nm(num,tp) DEFINE num integer, tp smallint, strg CHAR(8), i, j SMALLINT, strg1, strg2 char(3) LET i = num / 256 LET j = num MOD 256 LET strg1 = i using "<<&" LET strg2 = j using "<<&" IF tp = 0 THEN IF j > i THEN LET strg = strg1 clipped ELSE LET strg = strg1 clipped, ", ", strg2 clipped END IF ELSE # varchar is just the opposite IF i = 0 THEN LET strg = strg2 clipped ELSE LET strg = strg2 clipped, ", ", strg1 clipped END IF END IF RETURN strg END FUNCTION j. -----Original Message----- From: ids-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:ids-bounces@iiug.org]On Behalf Of Peter_Logan.... Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 2:23 PM To: ids@iiug.org Subject: column length ? [6452] I've probably run across the answer to this in the past, getting old and don't remember ... anyway if you define a column as ... create table table_1 ( col_1 decimal(15,0)) the value in the syscolumns for the length is 3840, however if you define the column as .. create table table_1 (col_1 decimal(15)) the length is stored as 4095 Can someone refresh my memory as to why? Thanks in advance. Peter **************************************************************************** *** Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum.

With two arguments, decimal(p,s) is referred to as exact number datatyp= e and collength for it is: (precision * 256) + scale So your decimal(15, 0) is ok. From the manuals: If the database is not ANSI-compliant, and you specify fewer than 2 parameters, you declare a floating-point DECIMAL, which is not an exact number data type. However, in ANSI-complaint database decimal(p) is implemented as fixed-point decimal. So if your table is in ANSI database, you will still get 3840 for decimal(15). Thanks and Regards, Gaurav = "ART KAGEL, ...." = <kagel@bloomberg. = net> = To Sent by: ids@iiug.org = ids-bounces@iiug. = cc org = Subj= ect Re: column length ? [6453] = 02/27/2006 01:37 = PM = = = Please respond to = ids = = = The syscolumns.collen column encodes the precision of the column as wel= l as the actual length. DECIMAL(15,0) is fixed precision, 15 digits to the left = of the decimal, none to the right while DECIMAL(15) is floating point precisio= n of 15 digits total. The encoding is different. See the headers in $INFORMIXDIR/incl/esql, specifically sqltypes.h, decimal.h, & datetime.= h for macros to decode syscolumns.collen column. Art S. Kagel ----- Original Message ----- From: Peter_logan.... <ids@iiug.org> At: 2/27 14:24 I've probably run across the answer to this in the past, getting old an= d don't remember ... anyway if you define a column as ... create table table_1 ( col_1 decimal(15,0)) the value in the syscolumns for the length is 3840, however if you defi= ne the column as .. create table table_1 (col_1 decimal(15)) the length is stored as 4095 Can someone refresh my memory as to why? Thanks in advance. Peter ***********************************************************************= ******** Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. ***********************************************************************= ******** Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. =