1. The database definition utility can be executed only while HiRDB is active.
2. The database definition utility can be executed from any server machine.
3. When a definition SQL is executed, commit processing is executed for each SQL statement.
4. A maximum of 2 MB of SQL statements can be executed.
5. Multiple definition SQL statements cannot be specified on the same line.
6. When CREATE INDEX is executed by the database definition utility, the index is created in the batch mode at the time of execution if there is row data in the table for which the index is being created. If PDDBLOG=NO is specified in the client environment definition at this time, the index is created in the batch mode without collecting database updating log information. Therefore, the HiRDB administrator must perform operations in the no-log mode. For details about operations in the no-log mode, see the HiRDB Version 8 System Operation Guide
7. ALTER TABLE and DROP TABLE must not be executed for an extracted database subject to data linkage. If either of these commands is executed in such a case, database agreement is not guaranteed. However, the definition on the HiRDB side can be changed if the tables or columns in a database subject to data linkage are not being updated and all update information has already been transferred to the target side. If the HiRDB Datareplicator is then reactivated after using the hdeprep command to re-analyze the extraction definition of tables or columns to be extracted by the HiRDB Datareplicator side, database agreement is guaranteed. For details about the procedures, see the HiRDB Datareplicator Version 8 Description, User's Guide and Operator's Guide.
8. When executing pddef, make sure that the character codes are the same as for the HiRDB server in which the definitions are registered. You must also use the specified character codes for entering data.

The results of the database definition utility can be checked by the return code set by the utility or by referencing a data dictionary table. The return codes are as follows:

• When the -R option is omitted
  

  Return code	Meaning	Action	HiRDB operation
  0	Normal termination (including when an SQL statement resulted in an error)	Not applicable	Not applicable
  8	Memory shortage	Re-execute after another process has terminated, or increase memory.	Cancels processing and terminates pddef
  	Option specification error	Specify the correct option.

• When the -R option is specified
  

  Return code	Meaning	Action	HiRDB operation
  0	Normal termination	Not applicable	Not applicable
  4	HiRDB connection error	Check and, if necessary, revise the specified environment variables.	Cancels processing and terminates pddef
  	SQL error	Check and, if necessary, revise the executed SQL statement.	Resumes processing
  8	Memory shortage	Re-execute after another process has terminated, or increase memory.	Cancels processing and terminates pddef
  	Option specification error	Specify the correct option.

Note

If return code 4 is followed by return code 8, the system cancels processing and terminates with final return code 8.

If any of the SQL statements listed below results in an error, the GET DIAGNOSTICS statement can be executed to display error information (if the SQL statement contains a comment, ERROR_POSITION will display the values only without the comment):

• CREATE PROCEDURE
• CREATE FUNCTION
• CREATE TYPE
• ALTER PROCEDURE
• ALTER ROUTINE
• CREATE TRIGGER

Figure 4-2 shows the format of error information.

Figure 4-2 Format of error information

The system regards any data beginning with /* in an SQL statement as a comment. All characters following /* (including semicolons) are handled as part of the comment. The system regards the first */ that follows /* as the end of the comment.

The following shows examples:

 
Example 1:
CREATE TABLE T1 (C1 INT) ; /* CU ADDRESS TABLE */   ...Start and end of comment
 
Example 2:
CREATE TABLE T1 /* CU ADDRESS TABLE */ (C1 INT) ;   ...Start and end of comment
 
Example 3:
CREATE TABLE T1 /* CU ADDRESS   ...Start and continuation of comment
TABLE */ (C1 INT) ;   ...............End of comment
 
Example 4:
CREATE TABLE T1 /* CU ADDRESS TABLE * (C1 INT) ;   ...Start and continuation of comment
 
Example 5:
CREATE TABLE T1 /* CU /* ADDRESS */ TABLE */ (C1 INT) ;
  ...Start and end of comment
 

Data from /* to */ that is enclosed in double quotation marks (") or single quotation marks (') is not handled as a comment. For details about specifying comments, see the description of the SQL specification format in the manual HiRDB Version 8 SQL Reference. Note that this utility's handling of comments is different from the interactive SQL execution utility (HiRDB SQL Executer).

If you selected utf-8 as the character encoding in the pdntenv command, you can use a file with a BOM as the input file for pddef. Note that even when a file with a BOM is used as the input file for pddef, the BOM is skipped.