Data Types

Table 16-2 shows how dBASE data types map to the standard ODBC data types. These dBASE data types can be used in a Create Table statement. Refer to Chapter 11 “SQL Statements for Flat-File Drivers” in the DataDirect Connect Series for ODBC Reference for the syntax of the Create Table statement.

Table 16-3 shows how the additional FoxPro 3.0 data types map to the ODBC data types.

NOTE: A few products can create dBASE files with numbers that do not conform to the precision and scale of the Number column. For example, these products can store 100000 in a column declared as NUMBER(5,2). When this occurs, the dBASE driver displays error 1244, Unsupported decimal format. To remedy this situation, multiply the nonconforming column by 1, which converts it to the Float data type. For example:

SELECT BADCOL * 1 FROM BADFILE

BADCOL * 1 is evaluated as an expression and is returned as a float value.

Table 16-2. dBASE Data Types 

dBASE	ODBC
Binary 1	SQL_LONGVARBINARY
Char 2	SQL_CHAR
Date	SQL_TYPE_DATE
Float 3	SQL_DECIMAL
General 4	SQL_LONGVARBINARY
Logical	SQL_BIT
Memo	SQL_LONGVARCHAR
Numeric	SQL_DECIMAL

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1

dBASE V only.

2

254 characters maximum (1024 for Clipper).

3

dBASE IV and V only.

4

FoxPro and dBASE V only.

Table 16-3. Additional FoxPro 3.0 Data Types

FoxPro 3.0	ODBC
Character (binary)	SQL_CHAR
Currency	SQL_DOUBLE
Datetime	SQL_TYPE_TIMESTAMP
Double	SQL_DOUBLE
Integer	SQL_INTEGER
Memo (binary)	SQL_LONGVARBINARY

See “Retrieving Data Type Information” for information about retrieving data types.