SQL/MP Reference Manual
HP NonStop SQL/MP Reference Manual—523352-013
I-27
INVOKE Directive and Command
If you do not specify a prefix, indicator variable names have no prefix. If you 
specify a prefix but do not specify a suffix, indicator names have no suffix. If you do 
not specify either a prefix or a suffix, the suffix depends on the language:
A prefix or suffix must consist of legal identifier values for the host language in 
which it is used. However, you can use uppercase or lowercase letters in a prefix 
or suffix, regardless of the host language. For C, Pascal, or TAL, INVOKE converts 
the suffix to lowercase; for COBOL, INVOKE converts the suffix to uppercase.
If you specify C, PASCAL, or TAL format and the indicator variable name with suffix 
is longer than 31 characters, the name is truncated to 31 characters. If you specify 
COBOL format and the indicator variable name with suffix is longer than 30 
characters, the name is truncated to a length of 30 and any trailing separator 
characters (-) are removed. A warning is issued for each truncated name.
For more information about indicator variables, see Indicator Variables and 
Indicator Parameters on page I-11 or the SQL programming manual for your host 
language.
NULL STRUCTURE
specifies that a column that allows null values should be declared as a structure 
with the same name as the column and with fields for the data item and its 
indicator variable. The fields are named INDICATOR (or indicator) and VALU (or 
value).
TO file [ ( section ) ] [ CLEAR ]
(for use from SQLCI) specifies an EDIT file on which to write the record definition. 
file can be a DEFINE name. If file does not exist, INVOKE creates it. If SMF is 
installed on your node, file must be either a logical or direct file.
section is a host identifier that names a section in the file. If you specify 
section, INVOKE writes the directive ?SECTION section immediately before 
the record description in the EDIT file.
CLEAR directs INVOKE to purge any data in the file before writing the record 
description. If you omit CLEAR, INVOKE adds the record description after the 
existing data.
CHAR AS { STRING | ARRAY }
(for use from C programs or from SQLCI) specifies whether to create a byte for the 
null terminator in C character types:
C _i Pascal _i
COBOL -I TAL ^i
STRING Generate the extra byte
ARRAY Omit the extra byte










