SQL/MX 2.x Reference Manual (H06.04+)

SQL/MX Functions and Expressions

HP NonStop SQL/MX Reference Manual—540440-003

9-24

CHAR_LENGTH Function

Considerations for CHAR_LENGTH

SQL/MP Considerations for CHAR_LENGTH

Examples of CHAR_LENGTH

The CHAR_LENGTH function returns the number of characters in a string. You can

also use CHARACTER_LENGTH.

string-value-expression

specifies the string value expression for which to return the length in characters.

NonStop SQL/MX returns the result as a two-byte signed integer with a scale of

zero. If string-value-expression is null, NonStop SQL/MX returns a length of

null. See Character Value Expressions on page 6-37.

Considerations for CHAR_LENGTH

CHAR and VARCHAR Operands

For a column declared as fixed CHAR, NonStop SQL/MX returns the maximum length

of that column. For a VARCHAR column, NonStop SQL/MX returns the actual length of

the string stored in that column.

SQL/MP Considerations for CHAR_LENGTH

Similarity to OCTET_LENGTH Function

The CHAR_LENGTH and OCTET_LENGTH functions are similar. The

CHAR_LENGTH function returns the number of characters in a string, and the

OCTET_LENGTH function returns the number of bytes in a string.

For example, suppose that an SQL/MP table has been created in this way:

CREATE TABLE tab (col_kanji CHAR(10) CHARACTER SET KANJI,

col_char CHAR(10));

This row is inserted into the table:

INSERT INTO tab VALUES (_KANJI'kkkk', 'ccc');

CHAR[ACTER]_LENGTH (string-value-expression)