Prompting

 

The prompt function helps you provide the necessary information for the syntax of the statement that you want to use. The prompt function can be used in any of these statement processing modes: *RUN, *VLD, and *SYN. Prompting is not available for all SQL statements and is not complete for many SQL statements.

You have two options when using the prompter:

• Type the verb of the statement before pressing F4=Prompt.

  The statement is parsed and the clauses that are completed are filled in on the prompt displays.

  If you type SELECT and press F4=Prompt, the following display appears:

                             Specify SELECT Statement  
  Type SELECT statement information.  Press F4 for a list.
   
    FROM tables . . . . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    SELECT columns  . . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    WHERE conditions  . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    GROUP BY columns  . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    HAVING conditions . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    ORDER BY columns  . . . . .  _____________________________________________
    FOR UPDATE OF columns . . .  _____________________________________________
   
                                                                         Bottom Type choices, press Enter.
   
    DISTINCT rows in result table  . . . . . . . . .  N   Y=Yes, N=No   UNION with another SELECT  . . . . . . . . . . .  N   Y=Yes, N=No   Specify additional options . . . . . . . . . . .  N   Y=Yes, N=No  
   
   
  F3=Exit         F4=Prompt   F5=Refresh   F6=Insert line   F9=Specify subquery F10=Copy line   F12=Cancel  F14=Delete line  F15=Split line  F24=More keys  

• Press F4=Prompt before typing anything on the Enter SQL Statements display. You are shown a list of statements. The list of statements varies and depends on the current interactive SQL statement processing mode. For syntax check mode with a language other than *NONE, the list includes all SQL statements. For run and validate modes, only statements that can be run in interactive SQL are shown. You can select the number of the statement you want to use. The system prompts you for the statement you selected.

  If you press F4=Prompt without typing anything, the following display appears:

                               Select SQL Statement  
  Select one of the following:  
       1. ALTER TABLE      2. CALL      3. COMMENT ON      4. COMMIT      5. CONNECT      6. CREATE ALIAS      7. CREATE COLLECTION      8. CREATE INDEX      9. CREATE PROCEDURE     10. CREATE TABLE     11. CREATE VIEW     12. DELETE     13. DISCONNECT     14. DROP ALIAS                                                                      More...
  Selection      __
   
  F3=Exit   F12=Cancel  

If you press F21=Display Statement on a prompt display, the prompter displays the formatted SQL statement as it was filled in to that point.

When Enter is pressed within prompting, the statement that was built through the prompt screens is inserted into the session. If the statement processing mode is *RUN, the statement is run. The prompter remains in control if an error is encountered.

• Syntax checking
  The syntax of the SQL statement is checked when it enters the prompter.

• Statement processing mode
  The statement processing mode can be selected on the Change Session Attributes display.

• Subqueries
  Subqueries can be selected on any display that has a WHERE or HAVING clause.

• CREATE TABLE prompting
  You can enter column definitions individually when you are prompted for a CREATE TABLE statement.

• Entering DBCS data
  The rules for processing double-byte character set (DBCS) data across multiple lines are the same on the Enter SQL Statements display and in the SQL prompter.

 

Parent topic:

Using interactive SQL