ODBC descriptors have the following three states.
| State | Description |
| D0 | Unallocated descriptor |
| D1i | Implicitly allocated descriptor |
| D1e | Explicitly allocated descriptor |
The following tables show how each ODBC function affects the descriptor state.
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| D1i [1] | -- | -- |
| D1e [2] | -- | -- |
[1]This row shows transitions when HandleType was SQL_HANDLE_STMT.
[2]This row shows transitions when HandleType was SQL_HANDLE_DESC.
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| (IH) | -- | -- |
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| -- [1] | D0 | -- |
| (IH) [2] | (HY017) | D0 |
[1]This row shows transitions when HandleType was SQL_HANDLE_STMT.
[2]This row shows transitions when HandleType was SQL_HANDLE_DESC.
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| (IH) | -- | -- |
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| (IH) [1] | -- | -- |
[1]This row shows transitions when DescriptorHandle was the handle of an ARD, APD, or IPD, or (for SQLSetDescField) when DescriptorHandle was the handle of an IRD and FieldIdentifier was SQL_DESC_ARRAY_STATUS_PTR or SQL_DESC_ROWS_PROCESSED_PTR.
| D0 Unallocated |
D1i Implicit |
D1e Explicit |
| -- | -- | -- |