STCurveToLine (geometry Data Type)
Returns a polygonal approximation of a geometry instance that contains circular arc segments.
Syntax
.STCurveToLine ( )
Return Types
SQL Server return type: geometry
CLR return type: SqlGeometry
Remarks
Returns an empty GeometryCollection instance for empty geometry instance variables, and returns NULL for uninitialized geometry variables.
The polygonal approximation that the method returns depends on the geometry instance that you use to call the method:
Returns a LineString instance for a CircularString or CompoundCurve instance.
Returns a Polygon instance for a CurvePolygon instance.
Returns a copy of the geometry instance if that instance is not a CircularString, CompoundCurve, or CurvePolygon instance. For example, the STCurveToLine method returns a Point instance for a geometry instance that is a Point instance.
Unlike the SQL/MM specification, the STCurveToLine method does not use z-coordinate values to calculate the polygonal approximation. The method ignores any z-coordinate values present in the calling geometry instance.
Examples
A. Using an Uninitialized Geometry Variable and Empty Instance
In the following example, the first SELECT statement uses an uninitialized geometry instance to call the STCurveToLine method, and the second SELECT statement uses an empty geometry instance. Thus, the method returns NULL to the first statement and a GeometryCollection collection to the second statement.
DECLARE @g geometry;
SET @g = @g.STCurveToLine();
SELECT @g.STGeometryType();
SET @g = geometry::Parse('LINESTRING EMPTY');
SELECT @g.STGeometryType();
B. Using a LineString Instance
The SELECT statement in the following example uses a LineString instance to call the STCurveToLine method. Thus, the method returns a LineString instance.
DECLARE @g geometry;
SET @g = geometry::Parse('LINESTRING(1 3, 5 5, 4 3, 1 3)');
SET @g = @g.STCurveToLine();
SELECT @g.STGeometryType();
C. Using a CircularString Instance
The first SELECT statement in the following example uses a CircularString instance to call the STCurveToLine method. Thus, the method returns a LineString instance. This SELECT statement also compares the lengths of the two instances, which are approximately the same. Finally, the second SELECT statement returns the number of points for each instance. It returns only 5 points for the CircularString instance, but 65 points for the LineString instance.
DECLARE @g1 geometry, @g2 geometry;
SET @g1 = geometry::Parse('CIRCULARSTRING(10 0, 0 10, -10 0, 0 -10, 10 0)');
SET @g2 = @g1.STCurveToLine();
SELECT @g1.STGeometryType() AS [G1 Type], @g2.STGeometryType() AS [G2 Type], @g1.STLength() AS [G1 Perimeter], @g2.STLength() AS [G2 Perimeter], @g2.ToString() AS [G2 Def];
SELECT @g1.STNumPoints(), @g2.STNumPoints();
D. Using a CurvePolygon Instance
The SELECT statement in the following example uses a CurvePolygon instance to call the STCurveToLine method. Thus, the method returns a Polygon instance.
DECLARE @g1 geometry, @g2 geometry;
SET @g1 = geometry::Parse('CURVEPOLYGON(CIRCULARSTRING(10 0, 0 10, -10 0, 0 -10, 10 0))');
SET @g2 = @g1.STCurveToLine();
SELECT @g1.STGeometryType() AS [G1 Type], @g2.STGeometryType() AS [G2 Type];
See Also
Reference
STNumPoints (geometry Data Type)
STGeometryType (geometry Data Type)