JDBC Type 4 Driver Programmer's Reference for SQL/MX Release 3.2.1

6 Managing the SQL/MX Tables for BLOB and CLOB Data
This chapter describes the creation and management of the tables required to support LOB data
for database administrators.
• “Before You Begin Managing LOB Data” (page 64)
• “Creating Base Tables that Have LOB Columns” (page 64)
“Data Types for LOB Columns” (page 64)◦
◦ “Using MXCI To Create Base Tables that Have LOB Columns” (page 65)
◦ “Using JDBC Programs To Create Base Tables that Have LOB Columns” (page 65)
• “Managing LOB Data by Using the Lob Admin Utility” (page 65)
“Running the Lob Admin Utility” (page 66)◦
◦ “Help Listing from the Type 4 Lob Admin Utility” (page 67)
◦ “Creating LOB Tables” (page 67)
• “Using SQL/MX Triggers to Delete LOB Data” (page 67)
• “Backing Up and Restoring LOB Columns” (page 68)
• “Limitations of LOB Data (CLOB and BLOB Data Types)” (page 68)
Before You Begin Managing LOB Data
BLOB and CLOB are not native data types in an SQL/MX database. But, database administrators
can create SQL/MX tables that have BLOB and CLOB columns by using the Type 4 driver or special
SQL syntax in MXCI as described in this chapter. For management purposes, CLOB and BLOB
data is referred to as large object (LOB) data, which can represent either data type.
Before reading this chapter, also read Architecture for LOB Support, which describes the files for
the tables that contain LOB data.
Creating Base Tables that Have LOB Columns
• “Data Types for LOB Columns” (page 64)
• “Using MXCI To Create Base Tables that Have LOB Columns” (page 65)
• “Using JDBC Programs To Create Base Tables that Have LOB Columns” (page 65)
You can write JDBC programs to create base tables that have LOB columns or you can use the
SQL/MX conversational interface MXCI as described in this chapter.
Data Types for LOB Columns
The data types for the LOB columns are:
CLOB
Character large object data
BLOB
Binary large object data
NOTE: The CLOB and BLOB data type specification is special syntax that is allowed for use in
base tables accessed by the Type 4 driver described in this manual.
64 Managing the SQL/MX Tables for BLOB and CLOB Data