6 Running the Oracle Precompilers

Default Values

Many of the options have default values, which are determined by:

• A value built in to the precompiler

• A value set in the system configuration file

• A value set in a user configuration file

• A value set in an inline specification

For example, the option MAXOPENCURSORS specifies the maximum number of cached open cursors. The built-in precompiler default value for this option is 10. However, if MAXOPENCURSORS=32 is specified in the system configuration file, the default becomes 32. The user configuration file could set it to yet another value, which then overrides the system configuration value.

Then, if this option is set on the command line, the new command-line value takes precedence. Finally, an inline specification takes precedence over all preceding defaults. For more information, refer to Configuration Files".

Determining Current Values

You can interactively determine the current value for one or more options by using a question mark on the command line. For example, if you issue the Pro*COBOL command

procob ?

the complete option set, along with current values, is displayed on your terminal. In this case, the values are those built into the precompiler, overridden by any values in the system configuration file. But if you issue the following command

procob CONFIG=my_config_file.cfg ?

and there is a file named my_config_file.cfg in the current directory, the options from the my_config_file.cfg file are listed with the other default values. Values in the user configuration file supply missing values, and they supersede values built into the precompiler or values specified in the system configuration file.

You can also determine the current value of a single option by simply specifying the option name followed by "=?" as in

procob MAXOPENCURSORS=?

Case Sensitivity

In general, you can use either uppercase or lowercase for command-line option names and values. However, if your operating system is case-sensitive, like UNIX, you must specify filename values, including the name of the precompiler executable, using the correct combination of upper and lowercase letters.

Configuration Files

A configuration file is a text file that contains precompiler options. Each record (line) in the file contains one option, with its associated value or values. For example, a configuration file might contain the lines

FIPS=YES
MODE=ANSI

to set defaults for the FIPS and MODE options.

There is a single system configuration file for each system. The name of the system configuration file is precompiler-specific and is shown in Table 6-2.

The location of the file is operating system-specific. On most UNIX systems, the Pro*COBOL configuration file is usually located in the $ORACLE_HOME/procob directory, and the Pro*FORTRAN equivalent is in the $ORACLE_HOME/profor directory, where $ORACLE_HOME is the environment variable for the database software.

Each precompiler user can have one or more user configuration files. The name of the configuration file must be specified using the CONFIG command-line option. For more information, refer to Determining Current Values.

On the Command Line

You enter precompiler options on the command line using the following syntax:

... [option_name=value] [option_name=value] ...

Separate each option with one or more spaces. For example, you might enter the following options:

... ERRORS=no LTYPE=short

Inline

You enter options inline by coding EXEC ORACLE statements, using the following syntax:

EXEC ORACLE OPTION (option_name=value);

For example, you might code the following statement:

EXEC ORACLE OPTION (RELEASE_CURSOR=YES);

An option entered inline overrides the same option entered on the command line.

Advantages

The EXEC ORACLE feature is especially useful for changing option values during precompilation. For example, you might want to change the HOLD_CURSOR and RELEASE_CURSOR values on a statement-by-statement basis. Appendix C shows you how to use inline options to optimize run-time performance.

Specifying options inline is also helpful if your operating system limits the number of characters you can enter on the command line, and you can store inline options in configuration files, which are discussed in the next section.

Scope of EXEC ORACLE

An EXEC ORACLE statement stays in effect until textually superseded by another EXEC ORACLE statement specifying the same option. In the following example, HOLD_CURSOR=NO stays in effect until superseded by HOLD_CURSOR=YES:

EXEC SQL BEGIN DECLARE SECTION;
 emp_name CHARACTER(20);
 emp_number INTEGER;
 salary REAL;
 dept_number INTEGER;
EXEC SQL END DECLARE SECTION;
...
EXEC SQL WHENEVER NOT FOUND GOTO no_more;
EXEC ORACLE OPTION (HOLD_CURSOR=NO);
EXEC SQL DECLARE emp_cursor CURSOR FOR
 SELECT EMPNO, DEPTNO FROM EMP;
EXEC SQL OPEN emp_cursor;
display 'Employee Number Dept';
display '--------------- ----';
LOOP
 EXEC SQL FETCH emp_cursor INTO :emp_number, :dept_number; 
 display emp_number, dept_number;
ENDLOOP;
no_more:
 EXEC SQL WHENEVER NOT FOUND CONTINUE; 
 LOOP
 display 'Employee number? ';
 read emp_number;
 IF emp_number = 0 THEN
 exit loop;
 EXEC ORACLE OPTION (HOLD_CURSOR=YES);
 EXEC SQL SELECT ENAME, SAL
 INTO :emp_name, :salary
 FROM EMP
 WHERE EMPNO = :emp_number; 
 display 'Salary for ', emp_name, ' is ', salary;
 ENDLOOP;
...

From a Configuration File

The Oracle Precompilers can use a configuration file containing preset command-line options. By default, a text file called the system configuration file is used. However, you can specify any of several alternative files, called user configuration files, on the command line.

Advantages

Configuration files offer several advantages. The system configuration file lets you standardize a set of options for all projects. User configuration files let you customize a set of options for each project. With configuration files, you need not enter long strings of options on the command line. Also, if your system limits the length of a command line, configuration files let you specify more options than the command line can hold.

Using Configuration Files

Each record (line) in a configuration file holds one command-line option. For example, a configuration file might contain the following lines, which set defaults for the FIPS, MODE, and SQLCHECK options:

FIPS=YES
MODE=ANSI
SQLCHECK=SEMANTICS

Each Oracle Precompiler can have its own system configuration file. The name and location of the file are language- and system-specific. If the file is not found, you get a warning but the precompiler continues processing.

There is only one system configuration file for a given language, but you can create any number of user configuration files. You use the new command-line option CONFIG to specify the name and location of a particular user configuration file, as follows:

... CONFIG=<filename>

You cannot nest configuration files. Therefore, you cannot specify the CONFIG option in a configuration file. Also, you cannot specify CONFIG inline.

Setting Option Values

Many precompiler run-time options have built-in default values, which can be reset in a configuration file or on the command line. Command-line settings override user configuration file settings, which override system configuration file settings.

ASACC

Purpose

Specifies whether the listing file follows the ASA convention of using the first column in each line for carriage control.

Syntax

ASACC={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

ASSUME_SQLCODE

Purpose

Instructs the Oracle Precompiler to presume that SQLCODE is declared irrespective of whether it is declared in the Declare Section or of the proper type. ASSUME_SQLCODE=YES causes Releases 1.6 and later of the Oracle Precompilers to behave similarly to Release 1.5 in this respect.

Syntax

ASSUME_SQLCODE={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When ASSUME_SQLCODE=NO, SQLCODE is recognized as a status variable if and only if at least one of the following criteria is satisfied:

• It is declared in a Declare Section with exactly the right datatype.

• The precompiler finds no other status variable.

If the precompiler finds a SQLSTATE declaration (of exactly the right type of course) in a Declare Section or finds an INCLUDE of the SQLCA, it will not presume SQLCODE is declared.

When ASSUME_SQLCODE=YES, and when SQLSTATE and SQLCA (Pro*FORTRAN only) are declared as status variables, the precompiler presumes SQLCODE is declared whether it is declared in a Declare Section or of the proper type. This causes Releases 1.6.7 and later to behave like Release 1.5 in this regard.

AUTO_CONNECT

Purpose

Specifies whether your program connects automatically to the default user account.

Syntax

AUTO_CONNECT={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Note

Cannot be entered inline.

When AUTO_CONNECT=YES, as soon as the precompiler encounters an executable SQL statement, your program tries to log on to Oracle automatically with the userid

<prefix><username>

where prefix is the value of the Oracle initialization parameter OS_AUTHENT_PREFIX (the default value is null) and username is your operating system user or task name. In this case, you cannot override the default value for MAXOPENCURORS (10), even if you specify a different value on the command line.

When AUTO_CONNECT=NO (the default), you must use the CONNECT statement to log on to Oracle.

CHAR_MAP

Purpose

Specifies the default mapping of C host variables of type char or char[n], and pointers to them, into SQL.

Syntax

CHAR_MAP={VARCHAR2 | CHARZ | STRING | CHARF}

Default

CHARZ

Usage Note

In earlier releases, you had to declare char or char[n] host variables as CHAR, using the SQL DECLARE statement. The external datatypes VARCHAR2 and CHARZ were the default character mappings of Oracle Database version 7.

CINCR

Purpose

Allows the application to set the next increment for physical connections to be opened to the database.

Syntax

CINCR = Range is 1 to (CMAX-CMIN).

Default

1

Usage Notes

Initially, all physical connections as specified through CMIN are opened to the server. Subsequently, physical connections are opened only when necessary. Users should set CMIN to the total number of planned or expected concurrent statements to be run by the application to get optimum performance. The default value is set to 2.

CLOSE_ON_COMMIT

Purpose

Specifies whether to close cursors on a commit statement.

Syntax

CLOSE_ON_COMMIT={YES | NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Can be used only on the command line or in a configuration file.

If MODE is specified at a higher level than CLOSE_ON_COMMIT, then MODE takes precedence. For example, the defaults are MODE=ORACLE and CLOSE_ON_COMMIT=NO. If the user specifies MODE=ANSI on the command line, then any cursors will be closed on commit.

When CLOSE_ON_COMMIT=NO (when MODE=ORACLE), issuing a COMMIT or ROLLBACK will close only cursors that are declared using the FOR UPDATE clause or are referenced in a CURRENT OF clause. Other cursors that are not affected by the COMMIT or ROLLBACK statement, remain open, if they are open already. However, when CLOSE_ON_COMMIT=YES (when MODE=ANSI), issuing a COMMIT or ROLLBACK closes all cursors.

CMAX

Purpose

Specifies the maximum number of physical connections that can be opened for the database.

Syntax

CINCR = Range is 1 to 65535

Default

100

Usage Notes

CMAX value must be at least CMIN+CINCR.After this value is reached, more physical connections cannot be opened.In a typical application, running 100 concurrent database operations is more than sufficient. The user can set an appropriate value.

CMIN

Purpose

Specifies the minimum number of physical connections that can be opened for the database.

Syntax

CINCR = Range is 1 to (CMAX-CINCR).

Default

2

Usage Notes

CMAX value must be at least CMIN+CINCR.After this value is reached, more physical connections cannot be opened.In a typical application, running 100 concurrent database operations is more than sufficient. The user can set an appropriate value.

CNOWAIT

Purpose

This attribute determines if the application must repeatedly try for a physical connection when all other physical connections in the pool are busy, and the total number of physical connections has already reached its maximum.

Syntax

CNOWAIT = Range is 1 to 65535.

Default

0 which means not set.

Usage Notes

If physical connections are not available and no more physical connections can be opened, an error is thrown when this attribute is set. Otherwise, the call waits until it acquires another connection. By default, CNOWAIT is not to be set so a thread will wait until it can acquire a free connection, instead of returning an error.

CODE

Purpose

Specifies the format of C function prototypes generated by the Pro*C/C++ precompiler. (A function prototype declares a function and the datatypes of its arguments.) The precompiler generates function prototypes for SQL library routines, so that your C compiler can resolve external references. The CODE option lets you control the prototyping.

Syntax

CODE={ANSI_C | KR_C | CPP}

Default

KR_C

Usage Notes

Can be entered on the command line, but not inline.

ANSI C standard X3.159-1989 provides for function prototyping. When CODE=ANSI_C, Pro*C/C++ generates full function prototypes, which conform to the ANSI C standard. An example follows:

extern void sqlora(long *, void *); 

The precompiler can also generate other ANSI-approved constructs such as the const type qualifier.

When CODE=KR_C (the default), the precompiler comments out the argument lists of generated function prototypes, as shown here:

extern void sqlora(/*_ long *, void * _*/); 

Specify CODE=KR_C if your C compiler is not compliant with the X3.159 standard.

When CODE=CPP, the precompiler generates C++ compatible code.

COMMON_NAME

Purpose

For Pro*FORTRAN only, the COMMON_NAME option specifies a prefix used to name internal FORTRAN COMMON blocks. Your host program does not access the COMMON blocks directly. But, they allow two or more program units in the same precompilation unit to contain SQL statements.

Syntax

COMMON_NAME=blockname

Default

First five characters in name of input file

Usage Notes

The Pro*FORTRAN Precompiler uses a special program file called a block data subprogram to establish COMMON blocks for all the SQL variables in an input file. The block data subprogram defines two COMMON blocks -- one for CHARACTER variables, the other for non-CHARACTER variables -- and uses DATA statements to initialize the variables.

The format of a block data subprogram follows:

BLOCK DATA <subprogram_name>
variable declarations
COMMON statements
DATA statements
END

Your host program does not access the COMMON blocks directly. But, they allow two or more program files in the same precompilation file to contain SQL statements.

To name the COMMON blocks, the precompiler uses the name of the input file and the suffixes C, D, and I. At most, the first five characters of the filename are used. For example, if the name of the input file is ACCTSPAY, the precompiler names the COMMON blocks ACCTSC, ACCTSD, and ACCTSI.

The precompiler, however, can give COMMON blocks defined in different output files the same name, as the following schematic shows:

ACCTSPAY.PFO ===> ACCTSC, ACCTSD, ACCTSI in ACCTSPAY.FOR
ACCTSREC.PFO ===> ACCTSC, ACCTSD, ACCTSI in ACCTSREC.FOR

If you were to link ACCTSPAY and ACCTSREC into an executable program, the linker would see three, not six, COMMON blocks.

To solve the problem, you can rename the input files, or you can override the default COMMON block names by specifying COMMON_NAME inline or on the command line as follows:

COMMON_NAME=<block_name>

where block_name is a legal COMMON block name. For example, if you specify COMMON_NAME=PAY, the precompiler names its COMMON blocks PAYC and PAYI. At most, the first five characters in block_name are used.

For example, if you specify COMMON_NAME=PAY, the precompiler names its COMMON blocks PAYC and PAYI. At most, the first 5 characters in block_name are used.

If you specify COMMON_NAME inline, its EXEC ORACLE OPTION statement must precede the FORTRAN PROGRAM, SUBROUTINE, or FUNCTION statement.

You might want to override the default COMMON block names if they conflict with your user-defined COMMON block names. However, the preferred practice is to rename the user-defined COMMON blocks.

COMMON_NAME is not needed if you specify MULTISUBPROG.

COMMON_PARSER

Purpose

Specifies that the SQL99 syntax for SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE and body of the cursor in a DECLARE CURSOR statement will be supported.

Syntax

COMMON_PARSER={YES | NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Can be entered in the command line.

COMP_CHARSET

Purpose

Indicates to the Pro*C/C++ Precompiler whether multibyte character sets are (or are not) supported by the compiler to be used. It is intended for use by developers working in a multibyte client-side environment (for example, when NLS_LANG is set to a multibyte character set).

Syntax

COMP_CHARSET={MULTI_BYTE | SINGLE_BYTE}

Default

MULTI_BYTE

Usage Notes

Can be entered only on the command line.

With COMP_CHARSET=MULTI_BYTE (default), Pro*C/C++ generates C code that is to be compiled by a compiler that supports multibyte character sets.

With COMP_CHARSET=SINGLE_BYTE, Pro*C/C++ generates C code for single-byte compilers that addresses a complication that may arise from the ASCII equivalent of a backslash (\) character in the second byte of a double-byte character in a multibyte string. In this case, the backslash (\) character is "escaped" with another backslash character preceding it.

This option has no effect when NLS_LANG is set to a single-byte character set.

COMP_CHARSET

Purpose

Indicates to the Pro*C/C++ Precompiler whether multibyte character sets are (or are not) supported by the compiler to be used. It is intended for use by developers working in a multibyte client-side environment (for example, when NLS_LANG is set to a multibyte character set).

Syntax

COMP_CHARSET={MULTI_BYTE | SINGLE_BYTE}

Default

MULTI_BYTE

Usage Notes

Can be entered only on the command line.

With COMP_CHARSET=MULTI_BYTE (default), Pro*C/C++ generates C code that is to be compiled by a compiler that supports multibyte character sets.

With COMP_CHARSET=SINGLE_BYTE, Pro*C/C++ generates C code for single-byte compilers that addresses a complication that may arise from the ASCII equivalent of a backslash (\) character in the second byte of a double-byte character in a multibyte string. In this case, the backslash (\) character is "escaped" with another backslash character preceding it.

This option has no effect when NLS_LANG is set to a single-byte character set.

CONFIG

Purpose

Specifies the name of a user configuration file.

Syntax

CONFIG=filename

Default

None

Usage Notes

Can be entered only on the command line.

The Oracle Precompilers can use a configuration file containing preset command-line options. By default, a text file called the system configuration file is used. However, you can specify any of several alternative files, called user configuration files.

You cannot nest configuration files. Therefore, you cannot specify the option CONFIG in a configuration file.

CPOOL

Purpose

Based on this option, the precompiler generates the appropriate code that directs SQLLIB to enable or disable the connection pool feature.

Syntax

CPOOL = {YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

If this option is set to NO, other connection pooling options will be ignored by the precompiler.

CPP_SUFFIX

Purpose

The CPP_SUFFIX option provides the ability to specify the filename extension that the precompiler appends to the C++ output file generated when the CODE=CPP option is specified.

Syntax

CPP_SUFFIX=filename_extension

Default

System-specific.

Usage Notes

Most C compilers expect a default extension of ".c" for their input files. Different C++ compilers, however, can expect different filename extensions. The CPP_SUFFIX option provides the ability to specify the filename extension that the precompiler generates. The value of this option is a string, without the quotes or the period. For example, CPP_SUFFIX=cc, or CPP_SUFFIX=C.

CTIMEOUT

Purpose

Physical connections that are idle for more than the specified time (in seconds) are terminated to maintain an optimum number of open physical connections

Syntax

CTIMEOUT = Range is 1 to 65535.

Default

0 which means not set.

Usage Notes

Physical connections will not be closed until the connection pool is terminated.Creating a new physical connection will cost a round trip to the server.

DB2_ARRAY

Purpose

Based on this option, the precompiler activates the additional array insert/select syntax.

Syntax

DB2_ARRAY={YES |NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

If this option is set to NO, the Oracle precompiler syntax is supported, otherwise the DB2 insert/select array syntax is supported.

DBMS

Purpose

Specifies whether Oracle follows the semantic and syntactic rules of Oracle Version 6, Oracle database version 7, or the native version of Oracle (that is, the version to which your application is connected).

Syntax

DBMS={NATIVE|V6|V7}

Default

NATIVE

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

Using the DBMS option, you can control the version-specific behavior of Oracle. When DBMS=NATIVE (the default), Oracle follows the semantic and syntactic rules of the native version of Oracle.

When DBMS=V6 or DBMS=V7, Oracle follows the rules of Oracle Version 6 or Oracle database version 7, respectively. A summary of the differences between DBMS=V6 and DBMS=V7 follows:

• When DBMS=V6, integrity constraints (except NOT NULL) are disabled. When DBMS=V7, however, all Oracle database version 7 integrity constraints are enabled.

• When DBMS=V6, Oracle treats string literals like variable-length character values. However, when DBMS=V7, Oracle treats string literals like fixed-length character values, and CHAR semantics change slightly to comply with the current ANSI/ISO embedded SQL standard.

• When DBMS=V6, Oracle treats local CHAR variables in a PL/SQL block like variable-length character values. When DBMS=V7, however, Oracle treats the CHAR variables like ANSI-compliant, fixed-length character values.

• When DBMS=V6, Oracle treats the return value of the function USER like a variable-length character value. However, when DBMS=V7, Oracle treats the return value of USER like an ANSI-compliant, fixed-length character value.

• When DBMS=V6, if you process a multi-row query that calls a SQL group function such as AVG or COUNT, the function is called when executing an OPEN statement. When DBMS=V7, however, the function is called when executing an FETCH statement. When OPENing or FETCHing, if the function call fails, Oracle issues an error message immediately. Thus, the DBMS value affects error reporting slightly.

• When DBMS=V6, no error is returned if a SELECT or FETCH statement selects a null, and there is no indicator variable associated with the output host variable. When DBMS=V7, SELECTing or FETCHing a null column or expression into a host variable that has no associated indicator variable causes an error (SQLSTATE is "22002"; SQLCODE is ORA-01405).

• When DBMS=V6, if you SELECT or FETCH a truncated column value into a host variable that lacks an indicator variable, Oracle generates error ORA-01406. When DBMS=V7, however, Oracle generates no error.

• When DBMS=V6, a DESCRIBE operation of a fixed-length string (in Dynamic SQL Method 4) returns datatype code 1. When DBMS=V7, the DESCRIBE operation returns datatype code 96.

• When DBMS=V6, PCTINCREASE is allowed for rollback segments. When DBMS=V7, however, PCTINCREASE is not allowed for rollback segments.

• When DBMS=V6, illegal MAXEXTENTS storage parameters are allowed. When DBMS=V7, however, they are not allowed.

• When DBMS=V6, constraints (except NOT NULL) are not enabled. When DBMS=V7, all Oracle database version 7 constraints are enabled.

• When DBMS=V7, you cannot SELECT or FETCH nulls into a host variable not associated with an indicator variable.

If you precompile using the DBMS=V6 option, and connect to an Oracle database version 7 database, then a data definition language (DDL) statement such as

CREATE TABLE T1 (COL1 CHAR(10))

creates the table using the VARCHAR2 (variable-length) datatype, as if the CREATE TABLE statement had been

CREATE TABLE T1 (COL1 VARCHAR2(10))

Table 6-4 shows how the compatible DBMS and MODE settings interact. All other combinations are incompatible or not recommended.

DEF_SQLCODE

Purpose

Controls whether the Pro*C/C++ precompiler generates #define's for SQLCODE.

Syntax

DEF_SQLCODE={NO | YES}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Can be used only on the command line or in a configuration file.

When DEF_SQLCODE=YES, the precompiler defines SQLCODE in the generated source code as follows:

#define SQLCODE sqlca.sqlcode

You can then use SQLCODE to check the results of executable SQL statement. The DEF_SQLCODE option is supplied for compliance with standards that require the use of SQLCODE.

In addition, you must also include the SQLCA using one of the following entries in your source code:

#include <sqlca.h>

or

EXEC SQL INCLUDE SQLCA;

If the SQLCA is not included, using this option causes a precompile time error.

DEFINE

Purpose

Specifies a user-defined symbol that is used to include or exclude portions of source code during a conditional precompilation.

Syntax

DEFINE=symbol

Default

None

Usage Notes

If you enter DEFINE inline, the EXEC ORACLE statement takes the following form:

EXEC ORACLE DEFINE <symbol>;

DURATION

Purpose

Sets the pin duration used by subsequent EXEC SQL OBJECT CREATE and EXEC SQL OBJECT DEREF statements. Objects in the cache are implicitly unpinned at the end of the duration.

Syntax

DURATION={TRANSACTION | SESSION}

Default

TRANSACTION

Usage Notes

Can be entered inline by use of the EXEC ORACLE OPTION statement.

TRANSACTION means that objects are implicitly unpinned when the transaction completes.

SESSION means that objects are implicitly unpinned when the connection is terminated.

DYNAMIC

Purpose

This micro option specifies the descriptor behavior in dynamic SQL Method 4. The setting of MODE determines the setting of DYNAMIC.

Syntax

DYNAMIC={ORACLE | ANSI}

Default

ORACLE

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline by use of the EXEC ORACLE OPTION statement.

ERRORS

Purpose

Specifies whether precompiler error messages are sent to the terminal and listing file or only to the listing file.

Syntax

ERRORS={YES|NO}

Default

YES

Usage Notes

When ERRORS=YES, error messages are sent to the terminal and listing file.

When ERRORS=NO, error messages are sent only to the listing file.

ERRTYPE

Purpose

Specifies an output file in which errors generated in processing type files are written. If omitted, errors are output to the screen.

Syntax

ERRTYPE=filename

Default

None

Usage Notes

Only one error file will be produced. If multiple values are entered, the last one is used by the precompiler.

EVENTS

Purpose

Specifies that the application is interested in registering for and receiving notifications.

Syntax

EVENTS={YES | NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Can only be entered in the command line.

FIPS

Purpose

Specifies whether extensions to ANSI/ISO SQL are flagged (by the FIPS Flagger). An extension is any SQL element that violates ANSI/ISO format or syntax rules, except privilege enforcement rules.

Syntax

FIPS={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

When FIPS=YES, the FIPS Flagger issues warning (not error) messages if you use an Oracle extension to the ANSI/ISO embedded SQL standard (SQL92) or use a SQL92 feature in a nonconforming manner.

The following extensions to ANSI/ISO SQL are flagged at precompile time:

• Array interface including the FOR clause

• SQLCA, ORACA, and SQLDA data structures

• Dynamic SQL including the DESCRIBE statement

• Embedded PL/SQL blocks

• Automatic datatype conversion

• DATE, COMP-3 (Pro*COBOL only), NUMBER, RAW, LONG RAW, VARRAW, ROWID, and VARCHAR datatypes

• ORACLE OPTION statement for specifying run-time options

• EXEC IAF and EXEC TOOLS statements in user exits

• CONNECT statement

• TYPE and VAR datatype equivalencing statements

• AT db_name clause

• DECLARE...DATABASE, ...STATEMENT, and ...TABLE statements

• SQLWARNING condition in WHENEVER statement

• DO and STOP actions in WHENEVER statement

• COMMENT and FORCE TRANSACTION clauses in COMMIT statement

• FORCE TRANSACTION and TO SAVEPOINT clauses in ROLLBACK statement

• RELEASE parameter in COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements

• Optional colon-prefixing of WHENEVER...DO labels and of host variables in the INTO clause

FORMAT

Purpose

Specifies the format of COBOL or FORTRAN input lines.

Syntax

FORMAT={ANSI|TERMINAL}

Default

ANSI

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The format of input lines is system-dependent. Check your system-specific Oracle manuals.

When FORMAT=ANSI, the format of input lines conforms as much as possible to the current ANSI standard.

Globalization Support_LOCAL

Purpose

For Pro*COBOL only, the Globalization Support_LOCAL option determines whether Globalization Support character conversions are performed by the precompiler run-time library or by the Oracle Server.

Syntax

Globalization Support_LOCAL={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When Globalization Support_LOCAL=YES, the run-time library (SQLLIB) locally performs blank-padding and blank-stripping for host variables that have multibyte Globalization Support datatypes.

When Globalization Support_LOCAL=NO, blank-padding and blank-stripping operations are not performed locally for host variables that have multibyte Globalization Support datatypes.

Oracle does not perform any blank-padding or blank-stripping of Globalization Support variables. When Globalization Support_LOCAL=NO, the Oracle Server returns an error upon executing a SQL statement that uses multibyte Globalization Support data.

HEADER

Purpose

Permits precompiled header files. Specifies the file extension for precompiled header files.

Syntax

HEADER=extension

Default

NONE

Usage Notes

When precompiling a header file, this option is required and is used to specify the file extension for the output file that is created by precompiling that header file.

When precompiling an ordinary Pro*C/C++ program this option is optional. When given, it enables the use of the precompiled header mechanism during the precompilation of that Pro*C/C++ program.

In both cases, this option also specifies the file extension to use when processing a #include directive. If an #include file exists with the specified extension, Pro*C/C++ assumes the file is a precompiled header file previously generated by Pro*C/C++. Pro*C/C++ will then instantiate the data from that file rather than process the #include directive and precompile the included header file.

This option is only allowed on the command line or in a configuration file. It is not allowed inline. When using this option, specify the file extension only. Do not include any file separators. For example, do not include a period '.' in the extension.

HOLD_CURSOR

Purpose

Specifies how the cursors for SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks are handled in the cursor cache.

Syntax

HOLD_CURSOR={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

You can use HOLD_CURSOR to improve the performance of your program. For more information, refer to Appendix C

When a SQL data manipulation statement is executed, its associated cursor is linked to an entry in the cursor cache. The cursor cache entry is in turn linked to an Oracle private SQL area, which stores information needed to process the statement. HOLD_CURSOR controls what happens to the link between the cursor and cursor cache.

When HOLD_CURSOR=NO, after Oracle executes the SQL statement and the cursor is closed, the precompiler marks the link as reusable. The link is reused as soon as the cursor cache entry to which it points is needed for another SQL statement. This frees memory allocated to the private SQL area and releases parse locks.

When HOLD_CURSOR=YES and RELEASE_CURSOR=NO, the link is maintained; the precompiler does not reuse it. This is useful for SQL statements that are executed often because it speeds up subsequent executions. There is no need to reparse the statement or allocate memory for an Oracle private SQL area.

For inline use with implicit cursors, set HOLD_CURSOR before executing the SQL statement. For inline use with explicit cursors, set HOLD_CURSOR before opening the cursor.

Note that RELEASE_CURSOR=YES overrides HOLD_CURSOR=YES and that HOLD_CURSOR=NO overrides RELEASE_CURSOR=NO. For information showing how these two options interact, refer to Table C-1.

HOST

Purpose

Specifies the host language to be used.

Syntax

HOST={COB74|COBOL}

Default

COBOL

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

COB74 refers to the 1974 version of ANSI-approved COBOL. COBOL refers to 1985 version. Other values might be available on your platform.

IMPLICIT_SVPT

Purpose

Controls whether an implicit savepoint is taken before the start of a new batched insert.

Syntax

implicit_svpt={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

If implict_svpt=yes, a savepoint is taken before the start of a new batch of rows. If an error occurs on the insert, an implicit "rollback to savepoint" is executed. This option exists for DB/2 compatibility, the obvious downside being the extra round-trip.

If implict_svpt=no, there is no implicit savepoint taken. If an error occurs on the buffered insert, then it is reported back to the application, but no rollback is executed.

INAME

Purpose

Specifies the name of the input file.

Syntax

INAME=filename

Default

None

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When specifying the name of your input file on the command line, the keyword INAME is optional. For example, in Pro*COBOL, you can specify myprog.pco instead of INAME=myprog.pco.

The precompiler assumes the standard input file extension (refer to Table 6-5). So, you need not use a file extension when specifying INAME unless the extension is nonstandard. For example, in Pro*FORTRAN, you can specify myprog instead of myprog.pfo.

For Pro*COBOL only, if you use a nonstandard input file extension when specifying INAME, you must also specify HOST.

INCLUDE

Purpose

Specifies a directory path for EXEC SQL INCLUDE files. It only applies to operating systems that use directories.

Syntax

INCLUDE=path

Default

Current directory

Usage Notes

Typically, you use INCLUDE to specify a directory path for the SQLCA and ORACA files. The precompiler searches first in the current directory, then in the directory specified by INCLUDE, and finally in a directory for standard INCLUDE files. Hence, you need not specify a directory path for standard files such as the SQLCA and ORACA.

You must still use INCLUDE to specify a directory path for nonstandard files unless they are stored in the current directory. You can specify more than one path on the command line, as follows:

... INCLUDE=<path1> INCLUDE=<path2> ...

The precompiler searches first in the current directory, then in the directory named by path1, then in the directory named by path2, and finally in the directory for standard INCLUDE files.

Remember, the precompiler searches for a file in the current directory first--even if you specify a directory path. So, if the file you want to INCLUDE resides in another directory, make sure no file with the same name resides in the current directory.

The syntax for specifying a directory path is system-specific. Follow the conventions of your operating system.

IRECLEN

Purpose

Specifies the record length of the input file.

Syntax

IRECLEN=integer

Default

80

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The value you specify for IRECLEN should not exceed the value of ORECLEN. The maximum value allowed is system-dependent.

INTYPE

Purpose

Specifies one or more OTT-generated type files (only needed if Object types are used in the application).

Syntax

INTYPE=(file_1,file_2,...,file_n)

Default

None

Usage Notes

There will be one type file for each Object type in the Pro*C/C++ code.

LINES

Purpose

Specifies whether the Pro*C/C++ precompiler adds #line preprocessor directives to its output file.

Syntax

LINES={YES | NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Can be entered only on the command line.

The LINES option helps with debugging.

When LINES=YES, the Pro*C/C++ precompiler adds #line preprocessor directives to its output file.

Normally, your C compiler increments its line count after each input line is processed. The #line directives force the compiler to reset its input line counter so that lines of precompiler-generated code are not counted. Moreover, when the name of the input file changes, the next #line directive specifies the new filename.

The C compiler uses the line numbers and filenames to show the location of errors. Thus, error messages issued by the C compiler always refer to your original source files, not the modified (precompiled) source file. This also enables stepping through the original source code using most debuggers.

When LINES=NO (the default), the precompiler adds no #line directives to its output file.

LITDELIM

Purpose

For Pro*COBOL only, the LITDELIM option specifies the delimiter for string constants and literals.

Syntax

LITDELIM={APOST|QUOTE}

Default

QUOTE

Usage Notes

When LITDELIM=APOST, the precompiler uses apostrophes when generating COBOL code. If you specify LITDELIM=QUOTE, quotation marks are used, as in

CALL "SQLROL" USING SQL-TMP0.

In SQL statements, you must use quotation marks to delimit identifiers containing special or lowercase characters, as in

EXEC SQL CREATE TABLE "Emp2" END-EXEC.

but you must use apostrophes to delimit string constants, as in

EXEC SQL SELECT ENAME FROM EMP WHERE JOB = 'CLERK' END-EXEC.

Regardless of which delimiter is used in the Pro*COBOL source file, the precompiler generates the delimiter specified by the LITDELIM value.

LNAME

Purpose

Specifies a nondefault name for the listing file.

Syntax

LNAME=filename

Default

input.LIS, where input is the base name of the input file.

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

By default, the listing file is written to the current directory.

LRECLEN

Purpose

Specifies the record length of the listing file.

Syntax

LRECLEN=integer

Default

132

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The value of LRECLEN can range from 80 through 255. If you specify a value the range, 80 is used instead. If you specify a value earlier the range, 255 is used instead. LRECLEN should exceed IRECLEN by at least 8 to allow for the insertion of line numbers.

LTYPE

Purpose

Specifies the listing type.

Syntax

LTYPE={LONG|SHORT|NONE}

Default

LONG

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When LTYPE=LONG, input lines appear in the listing file. When LTYPE=SHORT, input lines do not appear in the listing file. When LTYPE=NONE, no listing file is created.

MAXLITERAL

Purpose

Specifies the maximum length of string literals generated by the precompiler so that compiler limits are not exceeded. For example, if your compiler cannot handle string literals longer than 132 characters, you can specify MAXLITERAL=132 on the command line.

Syntax

MAXLITERAL=integer

Default

The default is precompiler-specific as shown here:

Usage Notes

The maximum value of MAXLITERAL is compiler-dependent. The default value is language-dependent, but you might have to specify a lower value. For example, some COBOL compilers cannot handle string literals longer than 132 characters, so you would specify MAXLITERAL=132.

Strings that exceed the length specified by MAXLITERAL are divided during precompilation, then recombined (concatenated) at run time.

You can enter MAXLITERAL inline but your program can set its value just once, and the EXEC ORACLE statement must precede the first EXEC SQL statement. Otherwise, the precompiler issues a warning message, ignores the extra or misplaced EXEC ORACLE statement, and continues processing.

MAXOPENCURSORS

Purpose

Specifies the number of concurrently open cursors that the precompiler tries to keep cached.

Syntax

MAXOPENCURSORS=integer

Default

10

Usage Notes

You can use MAXOPENCURSORS to improve the performance of your program. For more information, refer to Appendix C

When precompiling separately, use MAXOPENCURSORS as described in "Separate Precompilations".

MAXOPENCURSORS specifies the initial size of the SQLLIB cursor cache. If a new cursor is needed, and there are no free cache entries, Oracle tries to reuse an entry. Its success depends on the values of HOLD_CURSOR and RELEASE_CURSOR, and, for explicit cursors, on the status of the cursor itself. Oracle allocates an additional cache entry if it cannot find one to reuse. If necessary, Oracle keeps allocating additional cache entries until it runs out of memory or reaches the limit set by OPEN_CURSORS. To avoid a "maximum open cursors exceeded" Oracle error, MAXOPENCURSORS must be lower than OPEN_CURSORS by at least 6.

As your program's need for concurrently open cursors grows, you might want to re-specify MAXOPENCURSORS to match the need. A value of 45 to 50 is not uncommon, but remember that each cursor requires another private SQL area in the user process memory space. The default value of 10 is adequate for most programs.

MAX_ROW_INSERT

Purpose

Controls the number of rows that need to be buffered before executing the INSERT statement.

Syntax

max_row_insert={number of rows to be buffered}

Default

0

Usage Notes

Any number greater than zero enables buffered insert feature and buffers that many rows before executing the INSERT statement.

MODE

Purpose

Specifies whether your program observes Oracle practices or complies with the current ANSI SQL standard.

Syntax

MODE={ANSI|ISO|ANSI14|ISO14|ANSI13|ISO13|ORACLE}

Default

ORACLE

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The following pairs of MODE values are equivalent: ANSI and ISO, ANSI14 and ISO14, ANSI13 and ISO13.

When MODE=ORACLE (the default), your embedded SQL program observes Oracle practices.

When MODE={ANSI14|ANSI13}, your program complies closely with the current ANSI SQL standard.

When MODE=ANSI, your program complies fully with the ANSI standard and the following changes go into effect:

• CHAR column values, USER pseudocolumn values, character host values, and quoted literals are treated like ANSI fixed-length character strings. And, ANSI-compliant blank-padding semantics are used when you assign, compare, INSERT, UPDATE, SELECT, or FETCH such values.

• Issuing a COMMIT or ROLLBACK closes all explicit cursors. (When MODE={ANSI13|ORACLE}, a commit or rollback closes only cursors referenced in a CURRENT OF clause.)

• You cannot OPEN a cursor that is already open or CLOSE a cursor that is already closed. (When MODE=ORACLE, you can reOPEN an open cursor to avoid reparsing.)

• The "no data found" Oracle warning code returned to SQLCODE becomes +100 instead of +1403. The error message text does not change.

• No error message is issued if Oracle assigns a truncated column value to an output host variable.

When MODE={ANSI|ANSI14}, a 4-byte integer variable named SQLCODE (SQLCOD in FORTRAN) or a 5-byte character variable named SQLSTATE (SQLSTA in FORTRAN) must be declared. For more information, refer to "Error Handling Alternatives".

Table 6-4 shows how the MODE and DBMS settings interact. Other combinations are incompatible or are not recommended.

MULTISUBPROG

Purpose

For Pro*FORTRAN only, the MULTISUBPROG option specifies whether the Pro*FORTRAN precompiler generates COMMON statements and BLOCK DATA subprograms.

Syntax

MULTISUBPROG={YES|NO}

Default

YES

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When MULTISUBPROG=YES, the precompiler generates COMMON statements and BLOCK DATA subprograms. Your host program does not access the COMMON blocks directly, but it allows two or more program units in the same precompilation unit to contain SQL statements.

However, the precompiler can give COMMON blocks defined in different output files the same name. If you link the files into an executable program, you get a link-time or run-time error. To solve this problem, you can rename the input files or override the default COMMON block names by specifying the option COMMON_NAME. To avoid the problem, specify MULTISUBPROG=NO.

Specify MULTISUBPROG=NO if your Pro*FORTRAN source code has only a single subprogram in each source file (this was the restriction in release 1.3). When MULTISUBPROG=NO, the COMMON_BLOCK option is ignored and the precompiler generates no COMMON statements or BLOCK DATA subprograms. Every program unit that contains executable SQL statements must have a Declare Section. Otherwise, you get a precompilation error. For input files that contain more than one embedded SQL program unit, the precompiler generates the same declarations in each unit.

NATIVE_TYPES

Purpose

Support for native float/double.

Syntax

NATIVE_TYPES = {YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

The native float and native double datatypes represent the single-precision and double-precision floating point values. They are represented natively, that is, in the host system's floating point format.

NLS_CHAR

Purpose

Specifies which C host character variables are treated by the precompiler as multibyte character variables.

Syntax

NLS_CHAR=varname or NLS_CHAR=(var_1,var_2,...,var_n)

Default

None.

Usage Notes

Can be entered only on the command line, or in a configuration file.

This option provides the ability to specify at precompile time a list of the names of one or more host variables that the precompiler must treat as multibyte character variables. You can specify only C char variables or Pro*C/C++ VARCHARs using this option.

If you specify in the option list a variable that is not declared in your program, then the precompiler generates no error.

NLS_LOCAL

Purpose

Determines whether multibyte character set conversions are performed by the precompiler run-time library, SQLLIB, or by the database server.

Syntax

NLS_LOCAL={NO | YES}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

When set to YES, local multibyte support is provided by Pro*C/C++ and the SQLLIB library. The option NLS_CHAR must be used to indicate which C host variables are multibyte.

When set to NO, Pro*C/C++ will use the database server support for multibyte objects. Set NLS_LOCAL to NO for all new applications.

Environment variable NLS_NCHAR must be set to a valid fixed-width National Character Set. Variable-width National Character Sets are not supported.

Can be entered only on the command line, or in a configuration file.

OBJECTS

Purpose

Requests support for object types.

Syntax

OBJECTS={YES | NO}

Default

YES

Usage Notes

Can only be entered in the command line.

ONAME

Purpose

Specifies the name of the output file.

Syntax

ONAME=filename

Default

System-dependent

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

Use this option to specify the name of the output file, where the name differs from that of the input file. For example, if you issue

procob INAME=my_test

the default output filename is my_test.cob. If you want the output filename to be my_test_1.cob, issue the command

procob INAME=my_test ONAME=my_test_1.cob

Note that you should add the .cob extension to files specified using ONAME. There is no default extension with the ONAME option.

Oracle recommends that you not let the output filename default, but rather name it explicitly using ONAME.

ORACA

Purpose

Specifies whether a program can use the Oracle Communications Area (ORACA).

Syntax

ORACA={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

When ORACA=YES, you must place the INCLUDE ORACA statement in your program.

ORECLEN

Purpose

Specifies the record length of the output file.

Syntax

ORECLEN=integer

Default

80

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The value you specify for ORECLEN should equal or exceed the value of IRECLEN. The maximum value allowed is system-dependent.

OUTLINE

Purpose

Indicates that the outline SQL file must be generated for the SQL statements.

Syntax

outline={yes | no | category_name}

Default

no

Usage Notes

The outline SQL file should be in the DEFAULT category if the value is yes and the generated outline format is

DEFAULT_<filename>_<filetype>_<sequence_no>

If the category name is mentioned, then the SQL file should be generated in the category mentioned. The generated outline format for this is

<category_name>_<filename>_<filetype>_<sequence_no>

The outline SQL file is not generated if the value is no.

Semantic check should be full when this option is turned on, which means option sqlcheck=full/semantics. If sqlcheck=syntax/limited/none, then error will be generated.

OUTLNPREFIX

Purpose

Controls the generation of the outline names.

Syntax

outlnprefix={none | prefix_name}

Default

no

Usage Notes

If outlnprefix=prefix_name, then the outline format

<category_name>_<filename>_<filetype>

is replaced with <prefix_name> for the outline names.

If the length of the outline name exceeds 30 bytes, then this option is helpful for the user who can just specify the prefix name.

If outlnprefix=none, then the outline names are generated by the system. The generated format is

<category_name>_<filename>_<filetype>_<sequence_no>

Semantic check should be full when this option is turned on, which means option sqlcheck=full/semantics. If sqlcheck=syntax/limited/none, or outline=false, or both, then an error will be generated.

PAGELEN

Purpose

Specifies the number of lines in each physical page of the listing file.

Syntax

PAGELEN=integer

Default

66

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The maximum value allowed is system-dependent.

PARSE

Purpose

Specifies the way that the Pro*C/C++ precompiler parses the source file.

Syntax

PARSE={FULL | PARTIAL | NONE}

Default

FULL

Usage Notes

To generate C++ compatible code, the PARSE option must be either NONE or PARTIAL.

If PARSE=NONE or PARSE=PARTIAL, all host variables must be declared inside a Declare Section.

The variable SQLCODE must also be declared inside a declare section, or it cannot be relied on to detect errors. Check the default value of PARSE for your platform.

If PARSE=FULL, the C parser is used, and it does not understand C++ constructs, such as classes, in your code.

With PARSE=FULL or PARSE=PARTIAL Pro*C/C++ fully supports C preprocessor directives, such as #define, #ifdef, and so on. However, with PARSE=NONE conditional preprocessing is supported by EXEC ORACLE statements.

PREFETCH

Purpose

Use this option to speed up queries by pre-fetching several rows.

Syntax

PREFETCH=integer

Default

1

Usage Notes

Can be used in a configuration file or on the command-line. The value of the integer is used for execution of all queries using explicit cursors, subject to the rules of precedence.

When used inline it must placed before OPEN statements with explicit cursors. Then the number of rows pre-fetched when that OPEN is done is determined by the last inline PREFETCH option in effect.

The value range allowed is 0.. 65535.

RELEASE_CURSOR

Purpose

Specifies how the cursors for SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks are handled in the cursor cache.

Syntax

RELEASE_CURSOR={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

You can use RELEASE_CURSOR to improve the performance of your program. For more information, refer to Appendix C.

When a SQL data manipulation statement is executed, its associated cursor is linked to an entry in the cursor cache. The cursor cache entry is in turn linked to an Oracle private SQL area, which stores information needed to process the statement. RELEASE_CURSOR controls what happens to the link between the cursor cache and private SQL area.

When RELEASE_CURSOR=YES, after Oracle executes the SQL statement and the cursor is closed, the precompiler immediately removes the link. This frees memory allocated to the private SQL area and releases parse locks. To make sure that associated resources are freed when you CLOSE a cursor, you must specify RELEASE_CURSOR=YES.

When RELEASE_CURSOR=NO and HOLD_CURSOR=YES, the link is maintained. The precompiler does not reuse the link unless the number of open cursors exceeds the value of MAXOPENCURSORS. This is useful for SQL statements that are executed often because it speeds up subsequent executions. There is no need to reparse the statement or allocate memory for an Oracle private SQL area.

For inline use with implicit cursors, set RELEASE_CURSOR before executing the SQL statement. For inline use with explicit cursors, set RELEASE_CURSOR before opening the cursor.

Note that RELEASE_CURSOR=YES overrides HOLD_CURSOR=YES and that HOLD_CURSOR=NO overrides RELEASE_CURSOR=NO. For information showing how these two options interact, refer to Appendix C

RUNOUTLINE

Purpose

Provides the developer with the option of executing "create outline" statements either by using precompiler or by the developer manually at a later time.

Syntax

runoutline={yes | no}

Default

no

Usage Notes

If runoutline=yes, then the generated 'create outline' statements are executed by the precompiler/translator at the end of a successful precompilation.

The outline option should be set to true or category_name when runoutline is used. Semantic check should be full when this option is turned on, which means option sqlcheck=full/semantics. If sqlcheck=syntax/limited/none, then error will be generated.

SELECT_ERROR

Purpose

Specifies whether your program generates an error when a single-row SELECT statement returns more than one row or more rows than a host array can accommodate.

Syntax

SELECT_ERROR={YES|NO}

Default

YES

Usage Notes

When SELECT_ERROR=YES, an error is generated if a single-row select returns too many rows or an array select returns more rows than the host array can accommodate.

When SELECT_ERROR=NO, no error is generated when a single-row select returns too many rows or when an array select returns more rows than the host array can accommodate.

Whether you specify YES or NO, a random row is selected from the table. To ensure a specific ordering of rows, use the ORDER BY clause in your SELECT statement. When SELECT_ERROR=NO and you use ORDER BY, Oracle returns the first row, or the first n rows if you are selecting into an array. When SELECT_ERROR=YES, whether you use ORDER BY, an error is generated if too many rows are returned.

SQLCHECK

Purpose

Specifies the type and extent of syntactic and semantic checking.

Syntax

SQLCHECK={SEMANTICS|FULL|SYNTAX|LIMITED|NONE}

Default

SYNTAX

Usage Notes

The values SEMANTICS and FULL are equivalent, as are the values SYNTAX and LIMITED.

The Oracle Precompilers can help you debug a program by checking the syntax and semantics of embedded SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks. Any errors found are reported at precompile time.

You control the level of checking by entering the SQLCHECK option inline and on the command line, inline and on the command line. However, the level of checking you specify inline cannot be higher than the level you specify (or accept by default) on the command line. For example, if you specify SQLCHECK=NONE on the command line, you cannot specify SQLCHECK=SYNTAX inline.

If SQLCHECK=SYNTAX|SEMANTICS, the precompiler generates an error when PL/SQL reserved words are used in SQL statements, even though the SQL statements are not themselves PL/SQL. If a PL/SQL reserved word must be used as an identifier, you can enclose it in double-quotes.

When SQLCHECK=SEMANTICS, the precompiler checks the syntax and semantics of

• Data manipulation statements such as INSERT and UPDATE

• PL/SQL blocks

However, the precompiler checks only the syntax of remote data manipulation statements (those using the AT db_name clause).

The precompiler gets the information for a semantic check from embedded DECLARE TABLE statements or, if you specify the option USERID, by connecting to Oracle and accessing the data dictionary. You need not connect to Oracle if every table referenced in a data manipulation statement or PL/SQL block is defined in a DECLARE TABLE statement.

If you connect to Oracle but some information cannot be found in the data dictionary, you must use DECLARE TABLE statements to supply the missing information. During precompilation, a DECLARE TABLE definition overrides a data dictionary definition if they conflict.

Specify SQLCHECK=SEMANTICS when precompiling new programs. If you embed PL/SQL blocks in a host program, you must specify SQLCHECK=SEMANTICS and the option USERID.

When SQLCHECK=SYNTAX, the precompiler checks the syntax of

• Data manipulation statements

• PL/SQL blocks

No semantic checking is done. DECLARE TABLE statements are ignored and PL/SQL blocks are not allowed. When checking data manipulation statements, the precompiler uses Oracle database version 7 syntax rules, which are downwardly compatible. Specify SQLCHECK=SYNTAX when migrating your precompiled programs.

When SQLCHECK=NONE, no syntactic or semantic checking is done. DECLARE TABLE statements are ignored and PL/SQL blocks are not allowed. Specify SQLCHECK=NONE if your program

• Contains non-Oracle SQL (for example, because it will connect to a non-Oracle server through Open Gateway)

• References tables not yet created and lacks DECLARE TABLE statements for them

Table 6-6 summarizes the checking done by SQLCHECK. For more information about syntactic and semantic checking, refer to Appendix D.

STMT_CACHE

Purpose

Denotes the Statement cache size for the dynamic SQL statements.

Syntax

STMT_CACHE = Range is 0 to 65535

Default

0

Usage Notes

The stmt_cache option can be set to hold the anticipated number of distinct dynamic SQL statements in the application.

THREADS

Purpose

When THREADS=YES, the precompiler searches for context declarations.

Syntax

THREADS={YES | NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

This precompiler option is required for any program that requires multithreading support.

With THREADS=YES, the precompiler generates an error if no EXEC SQL CONTEXT USE directive is encountered before the first context is visible and an executable SQL statement is found.

TYPE_CODE

Purpose

This micro option specifies whether ANSI or Oracle datatype codes are used in dynamic SQL Method 4. Its setting is the same as the setting of MODE option.

Syntax

TYPE_CODE={ORACLE | ANSI}

Default

ORACLE

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

UNSAFE_NULL

Purpose

Specifying UNSAFE_NULL=YES prevents generation of ORA-01405 messages when fetching NULLs without using indicator variables.

Syntax

UNSAFE_NULL={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

The UNSAFE_NULL=YES is allowed only when MODE=ORACLE and DBMS=V7.

The UNSAFE_NULL option has no effect on host variables in an embedded PL/SQL block. You must use indicator variables to avoid ORA-01405 errors.

USERID

Purpose

Specifies an Oracle username and password.

Syntax

USERID=username/password

Default

None

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

Do not specify this option when using the automatic logon feature, which accepts your Oracle username prefixed with the value of the Oracle initialization parameter OS_AUTHENT_PREFIX.

When SQLCHECK=SEMANTICS, if you want the precompiler to get needed information by connecting to Oracle and accessing the data dictionary, you must also specify USERID.

UTF16_CHARSET

Purpose

Specify the character set form used by UNICODE(UTF16) variables.

Syntax

UTF16_CHARSET={NCHAR_CHARSET | DB_CHARSET}

Default

NCHAR_CHARSET

Usage Notes

Can be used only on the command line or in a configuration file, but not inline.

If UTF16_CHARSET=NCHAR_CHARSET (the default), the UNICODE(UTF16) bind / define buffer is converted according to the server side National Character Set. There may be a performance impact when the target column is CHAR.

If UTF16_CHAR=DB_CHARSET, the UNICODE(UTF16) bind / define buffer is converted according to the database character set.

VARCHAR

Purpose

For Pro*COBOL only, the VARCHAR option instructs the precompiler to treat the COBOL group item described in Chapter 1 of the Pro*COBOL Programmer's Guide as a VARCHAR datatype.

Syntax

VARCHAR={YES|NO}

Default

NO

Usage Notes

Cannot be entered inline.

When VARCHAR=YES, the implicit group item described in Chapter 1 of the Pro*COBOL Programmer's Guide is accepted as an Oracle VARCHAR external datatype with a length field and a string field.

When VARCHAR=NO, the Pro*COBOL Precompiler does not accept the implicit group items as VARCHAR external datatypes.

VERSION

Purpose

Determines which version of the object will be returned by the EXEC SQL OBJECT DEREF statement.

Syntax

VERSION={RECENT | LATEST | ANY}

Default

RECENT

Usage Notes

Can be entered inline using the EXEC ORACLE OPTION statement.

RECENT means that if the object has been selected into the object cache in the current transaction, then that object is returned. For transactions running in serializable mode, this option has the same effect as LATEST without incurring as many network round trips. Most applications should use RECENT.

LATEST means that if the object does not reside in the object cache, it is retrieved from the database. If It does reside in the object cache, it is refreshed from the server. Use LATEST with caution because it incurs the greatest number of network round trips. Use LATEST only when it is imperative that the object cache is kept as coherent as possible with the server buffer cache

ANY means that if the object already resides in the object cache, return that object. If not, retrieve the object from the server. ANY incurs the fewest network round trips. Use in applications that access read-only objects or when a user will have exclusive access to the objects.

XREF

Purpose

Specifies whether a cross-reference section is included in the listing file.

Syntax

XREF={YES|NO}

Default

YES

Usage Notes

When XREF=YES, cross references are included for host variables, cursor names, and statement names. The cross references show where each object is defined and referenced in your program.

When XREF=NO, the cross-reference section is not included.

An Example

In the following example, the SELECT statement is precompiled only when the symbol site2 is defined:

EXEC ORACLE IFDEF site2;
 EXEC SQL SELECT DNAME
 INTO :dept_name
 FROM DEPT
 WHERE DEPTNO = :dept_number;
EXEC ORACLE ENDIF;

Blocks of conditions can be nested as shown in the following example:

EXEC ORACLE IFDEF outer;
 EXEC ORACLE IFDEF inner;
 ...
 EXEC ORACLE ENDIF;
EXEC ORACLE ENDIF;

You can "comment out" host-language or embedded SQL code by placing it between IFDEF and ENDIF and not defining the symbol.

Defining Symbols

You can define a symbol in two ways. Either include the statement

EXEC ORACLE DEFINE symbol;

in your host program or define the symbol on the command line using the syntax

... INAME=filename ... DEFINE=symbol

where symbol is not case-sensitive.

Some port-specific symbols are predefined for you when the Oracle Precompilers are installed on your system. For example, predefined operating system symbols include CMS, MVS, MS-DOS, UNIX, and VMS.

Guidelines

The following guidelines will help you avoid some common problems.

Referencing Cursors

Cursor names are SQL identifiers, whose scope is the precompilation unit. Hence, cursor operations cannot span precompilation units (files). That is, you cannot declare a cursor in one file and open or fetch from it in another file. So, when doing a separate precompilation, make sure all definitions and references to a given cursor are in one file.

Specifying MAXOPENCURSORS

When you precompile the program module that connects to Oracle, specify a value for MAXOPENCURSORS that is high enough for any of the program modules. If you use it for another program module, MAXOPENCURSORS is ignored. Only the value in effect for the connect is used at run time.

Using a Single SQLCA

If you want to use just one SQLCA, you must declare it globally in one of the program modules.

Restrictions

All references to an explicit cursor must be in the same program file. You cannot perform operations on a cursor that was DECLAREd in a different module. Refer to  Using Embedded SQL for more information about cursors.

Also, any program file that contains SQL statements must have a SQLCA that is in the scope of the local SQL statements.

System-Dependent

Compiling and linking are system-dependent. For example, on some systems, you must turn off compiler optimization when compiling a host language program. For instructions, refer to your system-specific Oracle documentation.

Multibyte Globalization Support Compatibility

When using multibyte Globalization Support features, you must link your object files to the current version of the SQLLIB run-time library. The multibyte Globalization Support features in this release are supported by the SQLLIB run-time library and not by the Oracle Server. The resulting application can then be executed with any release of the Oracle database.