Connecting to Your Database
Using Embedded SQL with Informix

PowerBuilder requires a declarative statement to identify the database stored procedure that is being used and specify a logical name. The logical name is used to reference the procedure in subsequent SQL statements. The general syntax for declaring a procedure is:

DECLARE logical_procedure_name PROCEDURE FOR
   Informix_procedure_name
   ({:arg1,:arg2 , ...})
   {USING transaction_object};

where logical_procedure_name can be any valid PowerScript identifier and Informix_procedure_name is the name of the stored procedure in the Informix database. The parentheses after Informix_procedure_name are required even if the procedure has no parameters.

Creating a stored procedure

The default SQL terminator character for the Database painter is a semicolon (;). Informix also uses a semicolon in its stored procedure syntax. Therefore, to create a stored procedure in the Database painter, you must change the SQL terminator character to something other than a semicolon, such as a backquote (`).

To change the Database painter's SQL terminator character, type the character you want in the SQL Terminator Character box in the Database Preferences dialog box.

The parameter references can take the form of any valid parameter string that Informix accepts. PowerBuilder does not inspect the parameter list format except for purposes of variable substitution. The USING clause is required only if you are using a transaction object other than the default transaction object (SQLCA).

Example

Assume a stored procedure proc1 is defined as:

CREATE PROCEDURE proc1 AS
   SELECT emp_name FROM employee 

To declare that procedure for processing within PowerBuilder, enter:

DECLARE emp_proc PROCEDURE FOR proc1; 

Note that this declaration is a nonexecutable statement, just like a cursor declaration. Where cursors have an OPEN statement, procedures have an EXECUTE statement.

When an EXECUTE statement is executed, the procedure is invoked. The EXECUTE refers to the logical procedure name:

EXECUTE emp_proc; 

Issuing EXECUTE statements

Use PowerBuilder embedded SQL syntax when you enter an embedded EXECUTE statement in a script; do not enter the PROCEDURE keyword. Use this syntax:

EXECUTE procedure_name; 

Specify the EXECUTE statement the same way whether or not a stored procedure takes arguments. The arguments used in the DECLARE statement get passed automatically, without your having to state them in the EXECUTE statement.