FormatArgsAsExp

Description

Controls whether PowerBuilder converts a DataWindow object retrieval argument of decimal datatype to scientific (exponential) notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. If FormatArgsAsExp is set to Yes (the default), PowerBuilder performs this conversion.

NoteWhen to specify FormatArgsAsExp You must specify a value for FormatArgsAsExp before connecting to the database.

Applies to

Syntax

FormatArgsAsExp= 'value'

Parameter

Description

value

Specifies whether you want PowerBuilder to convert a DataWindow or report retrieval argument of decimal datatype to scientific (exponential) notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. Values are:

Default

FormatArgsAsExp='No'

Usage

When to use The setting of FormatArgsAsExp might affect the speed of data retrieval in your DataWindow objects, especially if you are accessing large databases.

If FormatArgsAsExp is set to Yes, PowerBuilder converts retrieval arguments of type decimal to scientific notation if the argument exceeds 12 digits but has fewer than 16 digits. Some DBMS optimizers might interpret the resulting scientific notation as a different datatype and scan all rows in the table to find it. This can slow data retrieval if, for example, you are accessing a DB2 database with many large tables.

Setting FormatArgsAsExp to No tells PowerBuilder to leave the retrieval argument as a decimal and not convert it to scientific notation. This speeds data retrieval for large databases.

NoteRetrieval argument size limited The FormatArgsAsExp parameter is relevant only if a retrieval argument of type decimal has fewer than 16 digits.

Examples

Example 1

To tell PowerBuilder to convert a retrieval argument exceeding 12 digits but with fewer than 16 digits to scientific notation: