Re: SQLLOADER

erichansen_at_mindspring.com (Eric Hansen) wrote:
>Why not? Isn't that it's job? If we can't count on it, should it be
>fixed so we can?

Its job is to interpret non-character numbers (including packed decimal) according to the rules of a specific computer, namely the one on which it is running. In practical terms this may equate to however the resident COBOL compiler represents COMP-3. But that is *not* necessarily the same representation as other computers. Some systems, for example, may not tolerate the variations of sign "nibble" that are acceptable in IBM mainframe packed decimal.

To quote the Loader doc discussion of "native datatypes":

"Because these datatypes contain binary data, most of them do not  readily transport across operating systems...RAW data and GRAPHIC  data are the exceptions."

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing SQL*Loader enhanced specifically to support loading of native S/370 datastypes on *all* platforms (since that's what many of these Loader discussions seem to involve).

/b

--
Bill Manry - IBM Products Division - Oracle Corp. USA
The above statements and opinions are my own and do not
necessarily represent those of Oracle Corporation.