Description
Controls whether PowerBuilder converts a DataWindow object retrieval argument of decimal datatype to scientific (exponential) notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. If FormatArgsAsExp is set to Yes (the default), PowerBuilder performs this conversion.
When to specify FormatArgsAsExp
You must specify a value for FormatArgsAsExp before connecting to the database.
Applies to
ASE and SYC, SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise
DIR SAP DirectConnect
ODBC interface
O90 Oracle9i
O10 Oracle 10g
ORA Oracle (for 11g and later)
Syntax
FormatArgsAsExp= 'value'
|
Parameter |
Description |
|---|---|
|
value |
Specifies whether you want PowerBuilder to convert a DataWindow or report retrieval argument of decimal datatype to scientific (exponential) notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. Values are:
|
Default value
FormatArgsAsExp='No'
Usage
When to use
The setting of FormatArgsAsExp might affect the speed of data retrieval in your DataWindow objects, especially if you are accessing large databases.
If FormatArgsAsExp is set to Yes, PowerBuilder converts retrieval arguments of type decimal to scientific notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. Some DBMS optimizers might interpret the resulting scientific notation as a different datatype and scan all rows in the table to find it. This can slow data retrieval if, for example, you are accessing a DB2 database with many large tables.
Setting FormatArgsAsExp to No tells PowerBuilder to leave the retrieval argument as a decimal and not convert it to scientific notation. This speeds data retrieval for large databases.
Retrieval argument size limited
The FormatArgsAsExp parameter is relevant only if a retrieval argument of type decimal has fewer than 16 digits.
Examples
To tell PowerBuilder to convert a retrieval argument exceeding 12 digits but with fewer than 16 digits to scientific notation:
-
Database profile
Check the Format Arguments in Scientific Notation check box on the Syntax page (or Transaction page in the case of the DIR interface) in the Database Profile Setup dialog box.
-
Application
Type the following in code:
SQLCA.DBParm="FormatArgsAsExp='Yes'"
