SQL Functions

Functions return information from the database and are allowed anywhere an expression is allowed.

When using functions with SAP Sybase IQ, unless otherwise stated, any function that receives the NULL value as a parameter returns a NULL value.

If you omit the FROM clause, or if all tables in the query are in the SYSTEM dbspace, SQL Anywhere processes the query, instead of SAP Sybase IQ, and might behave differently, especially with regard to syntactic and semantic restrictions and the effects of option settings.

If you have a query that does not require a FROM clause, you can force SAP Sybase IQ to process the query by adding the clause “FROM iq_dummy,” where iq_dummy is a one-row, one-column table that you create in your database.

• Aggregate Functions
  Aggregate functions summarize data over a group of rows from the database. The groups are formed using the GROUP BY clause of the SELECT statement.
• Analytical Functions
  Analytical functions include simple aggregates, window functions, and numeric functions.
• Data Type Conversion Functions
  Data type conversion functions convert arguments from one data type to another.
• Date and Time Functions
  Date and time functions perform conversion, extraction, or manipulation operations on date and time data types and can return date and time information.
• HTTP Functions
  HTTP functions facilitate the handling of HTTP requests within Web services.
• Numeric Functions
  Numeric functions perform mathematical operations on numerical data types or return numeric information.
• String Functions
  String functions perform conversion, extraction, or manipulation operations on strings, or return information about strings.
• System Functions
  System functions return system information.
• SQL and External Environment User-Defined Functions
  There are two mechanisms for creating user-defined functions in SAP Sybase IQ. You can use the SQL language to write the function, or you can use the ESQL, ODBC, Java, Perl, or PHP external environments.
• Miscellaneous Functions
  Miscellaneous functions perform operations on arithmetic, string, or date/time expressions, including the return values of other functions.
• Alphabetical List of Functions
  This section describes each SQL function individually.