A result is something returned by the data source after a statement is executed. ODBC has two types of results: result sets and row counts. Row counts are the number of rows affected by an update, delete, or insert statement. Batches—described in “Batches of SQL Statements” in Chapter 9, “Executing Statements”—can generate multiple results.
The following table lists the SQLGetInfo options an application uses to determine whether a data source returns multiple results for each different type of batch. In particular, a data source can return a single row count for the entire batch of statements or individual row counts for each statement in the batch. In the case of a result set – generating statement executed with an array of parameters, the data source can return a single result set for all sets of parameters or individual result sets for each set of parameters.
| Batch type | Row counts | Result sets |
| Explicit batch | SQL_BATCH_ROW_COUNT [a] | -- [b] |
| Procedure | SQL_BATCH_ROW_COUNT [a] | -- [b] |
| Arrays of parameters | SQL_PARAM_ARRAYS_ROW_COUNTS | SQL_PARAM_ARRAYS_SELECTS |
[a]Row count – generating statements in a batch may be supported, yet the return of the row counts not supported. The SQL_BATCH_SUPPORT option in SQLGetInfo indicates whether row count – generating statements are allowed in batches; the SQL_BATCH_ROW_COUNTS option indicates whether these row counts are returned to the application.
[b]Explicit batches and procedures always return multiple result sets when they include multiple result set – generating statements.
Note The SQL_MULT_RESULT_SETS option introduced in ODBC 1.0 provides only general information about whether multiple result sets can be returned. In particular, it is set to “Y” if the SQL_BS_SELECT_EXPLICIT or SQL_BS_SELECT_PROC bits are returned for SQL_BATCH_SUPPORT or if SQL_PAS_BATCH is returned for SQL_PARAM_ARRAYS_SELECT.
To process multiple results, an application calls SQLMoreResults. This function discards the current result and makes the next result available. It returns SQL_NO_DATA when no more results are available. For example, suppose the following statements are executed as a batch:
SELECT * FROM Parts WHERE Price > 100.00;
UPDATE Parts SET Price = 0.9 * Price WHERE Price > 100.00
After these statements are executed, the application fetches rows from the result set created by the SELECT statement. When it is done fetching rows, it calls SQLMoreResults to make available the number of parts that were repriced. If necessary, SQLMoreResults discards unfetched rows and closes the cursor. The application then calls SQLRowCount to determine how many parts were repriced by the UPDATE statement.
It is driver-specific whether the entire batch statement is executed before any results are available. In some implementations, this is the case; in others, calling SQLMoreResults triggers the execution of the next statement in the batch.
If one of the statements in a batch fails, SQLMoreResults will return either SQL_ERROR or SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO. If the batch was aborted when the statement failed, or the failed statement was the last statement in the batch, SQLMoreResults will return SQL_ERROR. If the batch was not aborted when the statement failed, and the failed statement was not the last statement in the batch, SQLMoreResults will return SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO. SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO indicates that at least one result set or count was generated, and that the batch was not aborted.