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SQL Server Native Client Data Type Mapping in Rowsets and Parameters

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Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

In rowsets and as parameter values, the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider represents SQL Server data by using the following OLE DB defined data types, reported in the functions IColumnsInfo::GetColumnInfo and ICommandWithParameters::GetParameterInfo.

SQL Server data type OLE DB data type
bigint DBTYPE_I8
binary DBTYPE_BYTES
bit DBTYPE_BOOL
char DBTYPE_STR
datetime DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP
datetime2 DBTYPE_DBTIME2
decimal DBTYPE_NUMERIC
float DBTYPE_R8
image DBTYPE_BYTES
int DBTYPE_I4
money DBTYPE_CY
nchar DBTYPE_WSTR
ntext DBTYPE_WSTR
numeric DBTYPE_NUMERIC
nvarchar DBTYPE_WSTR
real DBTYPE_R4
smalldatetime DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP
smallint DBTYPE_I2
smallmoney DBTYPE_CY
sql_variant DBTYPE_VARIANT, DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT
sysname DBTYPE_WSTR
text DBTYPE_STR
timestamp DBTYPE_BYTES
tinyint DBTYPE_UI1
UDT DBTYPE_UDT
uniqueidentifier DBTYPE_GUID
varbinary DBTYPE_BYTES
varchar DBTYPE_STR
XML DBTYPE_XML

The SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider supports consumer-requested data conversions as shown in the illustration.

The sql_variant objects can hold data of any SQL Server data type except text, ntext, image, varchar(max), nvarchar(max), varbinary(max), xml, timestamp, and Microsoft .NET Framework common language runtime (CLR) user-defined types. An instance of sql_variant data also cannot have sql_variant as its underlying base data type. For example, the column can contain smallint values for some rows, float values for other rows, and char/nchar values in the remainder.

Note

The sql_variant data type is similar to the Variant data type in Visual Basic and the DBTYPE_VARIANT, DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in OLEDB.

When sql_variant data is fetched as DBTYPE_VARIANT, it is put in a VARIANT structure in the buffer. But the subtypes in the VARIANT structure may not map to subtypes defined in the sql_variant data type. The sql_variant data must then be fetched as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in order for all the subtypes to match.

DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT Data Type

To support the sql_variant data type, the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider exposes a provider-specific data type called DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT. When sql_variant data is fetched in as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, it is stored in a provider-specific SSVARIANT structure. The SSVARIANT structure contains all of the subtypes that match the subtypes of the sql_variant data type.

The session property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT must also be set to TRUE.

Provider-Specific Property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT

In fetching data, you can specify explicitly what kind of data type should be returned for a column or for a parameter. IColumnsInfo can also be used to get the column information and use that to do the binding. When IColumnsInfo is used to obtain column information for binding purposes, if the SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT session property is FALSE (default value), DBTYPE_VARIANT is returned for sql_variant columns. If SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is FALSE DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT is not supported. If SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is set to TRUE, the column type is returned as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, in which case the buffer will hold the SSVARIANT structure. In fetching sql_variant data as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT, the session property SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT must be set to TRUE.

SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT property is part of the provider-specific DBPROPSET_SQLSERVERSESSION property set, and is a session property.

DBTYPE_VARIANT applies to all other OLE DB providers.

SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT

SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT is a session property and is part of DBPROPSET_SQLSERVERSESSION property set.

Property ID Description
SSPROP_ALLOWNATIVEVARIANT Type: VT_BOOL

R/W: Read/Write

Default: VARIANT_FALSE

Description: Determines if the data fetched in is as DBTYPE_VARIANT or DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT.

VARIANT_TRUE: Column type is returned as DBTYPE_SQLVARIANT in which case the buffer will hold SSVARIANT structure.

VARIANT_FALSE: Column type is returned as DBTYPE_VARIANT and the buffer will have VARIANT structure.

See Also

Data Types (OLE DB)