BUG: dbrettype Return Values Differ from Documentation

• Microsoft SQL Server Programmer's Toolkit, version 4.2

SYMPTOMS

Calling dbrettype() to retrieve the type of a remote procedure return parameter returns a token value indicating a nullable datatype instead of a token value indicating the length of the datatype, as indicated in the SQL Server Programmer's Toolkit documentation.

CAUSE

When issuing RPC requests from a DB-Library (DB-Lib) application to an ODS server, the return parameter types returned by dbrettype() will be identified as a nullable datatype instead of a datatype identifying the length of the return parameter.

For example, SQLINTN will be returned instead of SQLINT4. The return value from dbrettype() will identify the length of the return parameter if the RPC is issued against a SQL Server. This behavior occurs when using DB- Library 4.20.21 and later.

WORKAROUND

In order to determine the datatype of the return parameter, use the value returned by dbrettype() in conjunction with the parameter length returned by dbretlen().

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in DB-Library version 4.20.21. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.