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Reference Manual |
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| About This Book |
The Adaptive Server Reference Manual is a guide to Sybase(R) Adaptive Server(TM) Enterprise and the Transact-SQL(R) language. This book describes the "building blocks" of Transact-SQL, which are datatypes, built-in functions, expressions and identifiers, SQLSTATE errors, and reserved words. Before you can use Transact-SQL successfully, you need to understand the function of each of these building blocks and how its use affects the results of Transact-SQL statements.
This book provides reference information about the Transact-SQL commands, which you use to create statements. It also provides reference information about system procedures, catalog stored procedures, extended stored procedures, and dbcc stored procedures. All procedures are created using Transact-SQL statements.
Reference information is also provided for the system tables, which store information about your server, databases, users, and other information.
The Adaptive Server Reference Manual is intended as a reference tool for Transact-SQL users of all levels.
This manual contains:
The following documents comprise the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise documentation:
A more recent version of the Release Bulletin may be available on the World Wide Web. To check for critical product or document information that was added after the release of the product CD, use SyBooks(TM)-on-the-Web.
Use the Sybase Technical Library CD and the Technical Library Web site to learn more about your product:
Refer to the Technical Library Installation Guide in your documentation package for instructions on installing and starting Technical Library.
To access the Technical Library Web site, go to support.sybase.com, click the Electronic Support Services tab, and select a link under the Technical Library heading.
The following sections describe conventions used in this manual.
SQL is a free-form language. There are no rules about the number of words you can put on a line or where you must break a line. However, for readability, all examples and syntax statements in this manual are formatted so that each clause of a statement begins on a new line. Clauses that have more than one part extend to additional lines, which are indented.
Table 1 shows the conventions for syntax statements that appear in this manual:
Element | Example |
|---|---|
Command names, command option names, utility names, utility options, and other keywords are bold. | select |
Database names, datatypes, file names and path names are in italics. | master database |
Variables, or words that stand for values that you fill in, are in italics. | select column_name |
Type parentheses as part of the command. | compute row_aggregate (column_name) |
Curly braces mean that you must choose at least one of the enclosed options. Do not type the braces. | {cash, check, credit} |
Brackets mean that to choose one or more of the enclosed options is optional. Do not type the brackets. | [cash | check | credit] |
The comma means you may choose as many of the options shown as you want. Separate your choices with commas as part of the command. | cash, check, credit |
The pipe or vertical bar(|) means you may select only one of the options shown. | cash | check | credit |
An ellipsis (...) means that you can repeat the last unit as many times as you like. | buy thing = price [cash | check | credit] You must buy at least one thing and give its price. You may choose a method of payment: one of the items enclosed in square brackets. You may also choose to buy additional things: as many of them as you like. For each thing you buy, give its name, its price, and (optionally) a method of payment. |
sp_dropdevice [device_name]
or, for a command with more options:
select column_name
from table_name
where search_conditions
In syntax statements, keywords (commands) are in normal font and identifiers are in lowercase. Italic font shows user-supplied words.
select * from publishers
pub_id pub_name city state
------- ------------------- ----------- -----
0736 New Age Books Boston MA
0877 Binnet & Hardley Washington DC
1389 Algodata Infosystems Berkeley CA
(3 rows affected)
In this manual, most of the examples are in lowercase. However, you can disregard case when typing Transact-SQL keywords. For example, SELECT, Select, and select are the same.
Adaptive Server's sensitivity to the case of database objects, such as table names, depends on the sort order installed on Adaptive Server. You can change case sensitivity for single-byte character sets by reconfiguring the Adaptive Server sort order. For more information, see "Changing the Default Character Set, Sort Order, or Language" in Chapter 19, "Configuring Character Sets, Sort Orders, and Languages" in the System Administration Guide.
Adaptive Server syntax statements use several different types of expressions.
Usage | Definition |
|---|---|
expression | Can include constants, literals, functions, column identifiers, variables or parameters |
logical expression | An expression that returns TRUE, FALSE or UNKNOWN |
constant expression | An expression that always returns the same value, such as "5+3" or "ABCDE" |
float_expr | Any floating-point expression or expression that implicitly converts to a floating value |
integer_expr | Any integer expression, or an expression that implicitly converts to an integer value |
numeric_expr | Any numeric expression that returns a single value |
char_expr | Any expression that returns a single character-type value |
binary_expression | An expression that returns a single binary or varbinary value |
Each Sybase installation that has purchased a support contract has one or more designated people who are authorized to contact Sybase Technical Support. If you cannot resolve a problem using the manuals or online help, please have the designated person contact Sybase Technical Support or the Sybase subsidiary in your area.
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