BUG: Real Datatype Allowing NULL Is Shown as Float

  - Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2b for OS/2

SYMPTOMS

When a table is created with a real datatype column allowing NULL, sp_help shows float instead of real for the datatype. This does not happen when the column does not allow NULL.

For example, the following shows float instead of real for column f"":

  create table test (f real null)
  go
  sp_help test
  go

Column_name     Type            Length Nulls Default_name    Rule_name

f               float           4      1     (null)          (null)

WORKAROUND

You can manually change the usertype in syscolumns to 23.

For example:

   update syscolumns
   set usertype=23
   where type = 109 and usertype=8 and id=object_id('tablename')

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SQL Server for OS/2 version 4.2b. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

This is caused by the a misrepresentation in syscolumns.

The entry in syscolumns for the column 'f' is shown as:

type                                     usertype
----                                     --------
109                                         8

type                                     usertype
----                                     --------
109                                         23